Falling Slowly
by SyaRaven
Summary: Ruby and Belle struggle to deal with new feelings between the two of them, and Rumple gets in the way. What's going on between Regina and Emma? Also posted on Tumblr
1. Library Lunch

**Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time doesn't belong to me!**

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"I still don't understand the attraction." Sighed Ruby, plopping the bag of take out from Granny's onto the table in front of her.

"How can you not? The stories you can read, the adventures you can have, all the wondrous places you can visit. Books can make all of that a reality." Answered Belle from her place in the stacks.

"But it's not really real, you know?"

"It could be if you just opened your mind a little, Ruby." Quipped the librarian as she made her way over to her friend and the increasingly enticing bag of food.

"I just don't get it." The two friends sat down to enjoy a quick lunch over Belle's desk.

"Tell you what. I'll read a story to you. I'll promise to pick something good, and you promise to give it a try." When Ruby opened her mouth to protest, Belle continued. "The whole book."

"Fine. But in return, you have to spend a night out on the town with me." Since the two had met a few weeks earlier in Granny's diner, they had mostly hung out in the library. Belle was trying to get the place ready to open, and Ruby, as good as her intentions were, always ended up sitting at the desk and chatting with her friend. Whenever she tried to help with the book-sorting, she always screwed something up, causing the other brunette to banish her to the desk.

"Can we make it something quiet?" Belle was hesitant to agree to a vague 'night out' with Ruby.

"Nope." She answered gleefully, opening the box that held her burger. "The quiet part comes in with you reading to me. The wild part- that's my department." Belle sagged her head with a sigh, nodding in agreement with her friend.

"Well, I can't deny that you are the wild one." She said with a smirk, earning her a glare from Ruby. "Fine, if that's what it takes to get you to open up your mind to reading, then that's what I'll do."

"Great! I'll start planning, I've got to make this night perfect. Who knows when I'll get another opportunity to get you out of your shell?" Ruby was already halfway done with her burger, while Belle had only managed a few bites of her sandwich. "Something wrong with your food, Belle?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, not at all. It's delicious as always Ruby." She said with a smile, picking up her food once again. "I was just lost in thought, trying to think of a good book for you." Ruby chuckled at the way the other woman could get so distracted just thinking about books. Nothing could distract Ruby from her food when she was hungry. "And hey! I do not live in a shell."

"Oh, really? When was the last time you went anywhere besides here, the diner, and Rumple's place?" A crooked smile graced Ruby's face as she noted that the other woman had no reply. "Exactly, which is why I need to make the most of our night out."

Time passed quickly as the two friends continued to banter. It wasn't long before their food was gone, only a few crumbs left in their previously full boxes. Ruby was avoiding looking at the clock, she knew that as soon as she did she would have to run back to the diner. Belle, on the other hand, was completely riveted in their conversation and didn't have any energy to spare thinking about such frivolities as the time. Since the first time that they had talked to each other, there had been a connection, one that had grown into a full-blown friendship quite quickly.

Granny didn't like that Ruby spent all of her lunch breaks at the library now, since she was always coming back way after her forty-five minutes were up, but she was happy that her granddaughter had found a good friend. Mary Margaret had been so distracted lately with Emma and David, that she hadn't had much time to spare for her old friend Ruby. As much as she tried not to be bitter about it, Ruby was very happy for her friend and her new family, it hurt that she wasn't around as much.

The library was such an attraction to Belle that Gold couldn't be mad at the amount of time that she was spending over there, he just wanted her to be happy. He didn't know how much time Ruby spent there as well, though he did know that the two of them were friends. Had he had the choice, he would have picked someone a little more calm for Belle, but he, of course, did not have a say in who her friends were.

"Belle – I'm sorry, but it's gotten really late, I have to get back." Ruby had finally given into the voice in her head that was telling her Granny would be pissed.

"Oh, right, of course. I'll see you later? We have to get started on that book sometime." Replied the other woman, trying not to let her sudden sadness creep into her voice. Ruby chuckled lightly as she stood up and stretched. Belle found herself staring just a moment too long at the taller woman's long legs as she stood. Ruby's outfits were always quite revealing, the opposite of what Belle usually chose to wear, and today was no different. Short black shorts coupled with a low-cut, bright red tank top left just enough to the imagination. Ducking her head to avoid letting herself stare at her friend again, Belle mumbled her goodbyes.

After apologizing profusely to Granny for her absence, Ruby got rushed to bus tables. She wondered a bit what had caused Belle's attitude to change at the end of their lunch together. Up until the end she had been positively cheerful, but as she was saying goodbye, Belle wouldn't look her in the eye.


	2. Distracted

Although she tried her hardest to focus on her job, Belle found herself being distracted every time she picked up a new book. She had to read the back of the book, and maybe the first few pages, just to see if it was the right book to read to Ruby.

"No, not this one either." She mumbled to herself as she stuck another book on the shelf. She was in the classic section, shelving books like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, but nothing she came across seemed quite right for her friend.

As the afternoon hours passed, she found herself getting more and more flustered that she couldn't find the perfect book for Ruby. She knew that she most likely only had this one good chance to introduce her crazy friend into the wonderful world of novels. Sure, Ruby would let her read short stories every now and again, but Belle doubted that the other woman would voluntarily sit still for another novel after this. Of course, 'this' all banked on her finding the perfect book to read. Sighing, she moved on to the next pile of books, instinctively scanning the first book over for its merits regarding Ruby. _The Mysterious Island_ by Jules Verne.

"Hmm…" Belle muttered, the summary of the book looked promising, lots of adventure to keep Ruby on her toes. She opened to the first page, and began to read. Before long she was captivated, and she didn't notice herself sinking down the stacks till she was sitting with her back against the shelves she was supposed to be organizing. After the first few chapters she knew that this was the book for Ruby, the most perfect one she'd be able to find. Pleased with herself, Belle was able to shut the book and carry on with her work uninterrupted.

At least, that's what she thought would happen now that she'd picked the book. Instead, she found herself getting distracted time and time again, trying to imagine what Ruby's face would be when she read certain passages. She tried to figure out how they would be sitting while she read. Would Ruby be next to her on the couch? Would they be facing each other? Would there be a fire going in the fireplace? Would Ruby sit on the ground, curled up in front of her chair while she read, with her fingers drifting through the other woman's brown and red hair?

_What? _Thought Belle to herself. _Where did that come from?_ But now that she'd thought about it, she couldn't get the images out of her head. Ruby always struck her as a sort of puppy, and she could see almost perfectly in her head how Ruby would lean her head back to allow Belle's fingers more room to play with her hair. She might even whine with content as Belle dragged her fingernails gently against her scalp. _No, no. I have to work._ Belle pulled herself out of her thoughts, focusing on organizing her latest pile of books and placing them on the correct shelves.

On the other side of the street, Ruby was having a similarly hard time concentrating on her job. She leaned against the back of the counter, lost in thought thinking about what kind of fun she and Belle could have on their night out. She would make sure that her friend was dressed in something that was just outside of her comfort zone, and they could go out to the Rabbit's Hole for a drink or two. Maybe a dance. They could dance together, in the middle of the floor, drawing everyone's attention with how close they were. . .

"Food's up!" The shout coming from the kitchens behind her startled Ruby, causing her to drop the cup she was bussing.

"Shit!" She bent to pick up the large pieces before grabbing the plate of food from the impatient cook and hurrying to deliver it to table six. It was a good thing that she had so much practice running around in her high heels, as she was trying to deliver the food and get the cup cleaned up before Granny noticed that she'd dropped it.

"Ruby!" Too late. "Why on earth are you so distracted today? First you come back _very_ late from lunch, and now I can't get you to focus on anything that you're doing. This is the second item you've broken today."

"I'm sorry, Granny. I'll clean it up right away. And you can take the plate and cup out of my paycheck." The waitress felt herself blushing, she hadn't broken a plate for several years, she'd been doing her job for too long to be clumsy at it. Those thoughts of Belle were the cause of her distraction, and she had no idea where they came from. Sure she danced with her friends, like Ella, when they went out. But what she'd been imagining with Belle, how close they were in her mind, she could almost feel the way the other woman's body would feel pressed up against hers, swaying along with the music. It made her crave that feeling, made her wonder what it would be like to be that close to Belle.

"Ruby! Is something wrong with you?" Seeing her granddaughter zone out in the middle of the diner, not even noticing the wolf-whistle that was sent her way as she froze crouched near the ground giving the patrons a nice view of her ass in those short shorts, worried Granny.

"Yes, yes Granny I'm fine. I don't know why I'm so out of it today. I must be tired or something." The response did nothing to appease the older woman's worry.

"Maybe you should head home. Take a nap or something, and stay in tonight." She said, worry lacing her voice. Those words caused Ruby to completely jump out of her stupor.

"No, I'm fine Granny. I'm totally fine. See, I'm concentrating on my work. I won't stay out too late tonight."

"Ruby, I don't think it's such a good idea for you to go out tonight."

"I'm just going over to Belle's, Granny. I promise. I won't go out drinking tonight, we're just going to stay in and talk. And read." Ruby went back to what she was doing- sweeping up the remains of the cup she'd dropped. The men in the diner groaned in despair as she stood up and they lost their view, earning them a glare from her grandmother. Granny, on the other hand, was now caught in confusion, why was Ruby voluntarily spending a quiet night in with Belle… reading? That wasn't like Ruby at all.

"Hey, Ruby!" Mary Margaret's voice drew Ruby out of another reverie.

"Oh, hey Mary Margaret. What's up?" If her friend had noticed the fact that she was completely zoning out while on the job, she didn't show it.

"I know that we haven't been able to spend much time together, since everything, but I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out tonight?" When the other woman didn't answer, Mary Margaret kept rambling. "I kind of need a night out of the apartment, and I didn't really feel like going out with David. And I miss you. We used to be so close, and now it's like I never see you, so I was thinking that we could go out, maybe."

"Hey, Mary Margaret, slow down. I would love to go out for drinks with you." The elated look on Mary Margaret's face made Ruby cringe inside. "It's just that… I sorta already have plans for tonight."

"Oohh, a date, huh? I'm glad to see that you're ready to get dating again. Who's the lucky guy, Rubes?" The shorter woman was surprised when Ruby burst out with a full-throated laugh.

"No guy, Mary Margaret. I'm hanging out with Belle tonight. No date, no drinks. Just us and a book." At the look of surprise on her friend's face at the mention of the book, Ruby continued. "She wants to show me the value of a good book, or something. I'm not really sure about it all, but I promised her I'd be there, and I'd stay for the whole novel."

It took Mary Margaret a few seconds to adjust to the idea of Ruby reading a novel, and when she did she thought about what kind of influence one would need to have over Ruby to convince her to stay in all night and read a book. "Oh, just reading, hmm? No drinking. Just a quiet night in, curled up together on a couch and reading a book together? Not a date, huh Ruby?"

"I promise you, it's not a date. Belle just doesn't have many friends, especially because she's with Rumplestiltskin. I thought it would be nice to do something with her, and she wants to do book things. In exchange, I get to take her out for a night on the town." Mary Margaret smirked at the waitress' explanation.

"That's a bit presumptuous, don't you think Ruby?" The confusion on the taller woman's face was evident. "Planning a second date when you haven't even had the first one? Who knows if it will be a success?" Mary Margaret barely had the words out of her mouth when she felt the smack on her arm. "Well, alright then, you live in your delusional world. In the meantime, can I get a coffee to go please? It seems I have a need to find someone else to go out with tonight, as the town's resident partier has settled down." Another smack came her way.

With Mary Margaret dispatched with her coffee, Ruby returned to her previous activity: trying not to think about what was going to happen that evening with Belle, and trying to get all of her work done so as not to get on Granny's bad side again.

Before too long it was closing time, and Ruby was finally off the hook with Granny. A few of the patrons were surprised at how quickly Ruby shuffled them out of the diner when the clock struck 9 pm, she was usually distracted and let people leave on their own. After a quick wipe down on all of the tables, and making sure all of the dishes were put away in the correct places, Ruby was locking the door and heading down the street to the library. To see the woman that she hadn't been able to get out of her head all afternoon. Though she didn't really understand what was going on, she knew that despite all of her protests she couldn't wait to sit and read a book with the librarian.

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**Hope you liked it. These are also posted on my tumblr : **

**Please Review!**

**Sya**


	3. Reading Aloud

"Belle?" Ruby opened the door to the library and was met with darkness and silence. She called out once more, but didn't hear any response. Had Belle forgotten that they were going to hang out that night? Ruby's worries were assuaged when she heard her friend calling from the back office.

"I'm back here Ruby." Ruby could tell where the voice was coming from, and she knew the general direction of the librarian's office, but she wasn't sure she could maneuver her way over there in the dark. But, she was too stubborn to ask for help, so instead she just tossed an 'okay!' Belle's way, and started walking through the library. She barely made it four steps.

"Ow!" The shout and the crash came almost simultaneously.

"Are you ok?!" Belle's voice was frantic, she hurried out of the office and fumbled around on the wall for the light switch. Once she'd located it, she was able to see the other brunette lying face down on the floor, the desk chair caught under her leg and upturned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Huffed Ruby and she pulled herself up, wincing at the pain when she put pressure on her leg. "Just need to watch where I'm going better."

"And how were you planning on doing that? Its pitch black in here. You should have said something." The librarian sighed as Ruby dropped her gaze down to her feet to hide her face. "C'mon, let's get you settled."

In the office, Ruby saw that Belle had already started a fire, leaving the room with a cozy atmosphere. A blanket and book were strewn haphazardly on the couch, it was evident they'd been thrown there when Belle heard Ruby fall.

"So what did you pick out for us this fine evening?" Ruby spun around after her cursory glance at the room, more interested in Belle than her surroundings. She gulped as she noticed how close the two of them were. It felt like the fire was burning hotter and hotter, heating up the room to an impossible magnitude as Ruby noticed the mere inches separating her from her friend. It would just take a slight movement of her head and they'd be…

"Mysterious Island by Jules Verne. Have you heard of it?" Belle, too, could feel the intensity between the two of them. Ruby had stopped unexpectedly, and she hadn't been able to compensate. As a result, the two of them were rather close, and Belle couldn't stop herself from gazing deeply into Ruby's eyes, trying to understand more of her.

"Ahh, no, I haven't." She backed up slowly, gauging the distance between her and the couch before she threw herself upon it. "Why don't we get started and you can teach me all the wonders of the written word."

"I really think you'll like it. I started it already, and it's got lots of adventure for you." Belle went back to her previous spot on the couch, facing Ruby as she pulled her legs underneath her. The distance between the two of them bothered her in a way that she'd never noticed before. Ruby was leaning against the opposite arm of the couch, her legs, still exposed in her tiny shorts, were bent slightly on the couch.

"You started without me?" pouted the other woman, trying to keep her thoughts in order. She wanted to snuggle up with Belle for story time, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to close the distance between them. In the past few weeks they'd gotten awfully close, and sometimes when they were watching a movie together they would lean against one another, but tonight Ruby felt different than those other times.

"No – well, yes. But don't worry, I'm starting it over with you." Belle opened the book once more, reading the first few lines to her friend. It didn't take long for her to settle down into a rhythm. She never really read out loud to anyone, Gold never cared for books, but she enjoyed reading for Ruby. Every few lines she would glance up to see the expressions on her friend's face, and she was never disappointed.

The first change in position was innocuous, Ruby lifted the blanket off the ground where it had fallen and placed it over her legs. A chuckle came out of Belle when she noticed, of course the waitress would be cold in those ridiculously short shorts, not that she was complaining. The second came when Belle needed to stretch out her legs, they were getting cramped. After a few moments, her hand reached blindly for the blanket, her legs getting cold now that her body heat wasn't keeping them warm. Ruby lifted her legs for her, removing the blanket from underneath them and placing it over her legs. Belle returned her attention to the book, falling back into the world of the island.

A little while later, Ruby shifted slightly, drawing Belle out from the novel, and her voice faltered as she noticed that at some point over the last few chapters their legs had become intertwined. She moved the book a little to hide her face, she didn't want Ruby to see the blush that was blooming across her cheeks. The next change was more significant, Belle drew her legs closer to herself, not being able keep still now that she noted the contact between the two of them. Only a few seconds later, Ruby switched up the whole game. She rotated her body, laying her head down on Belle's lap, curling up like a puppy on the couch.

Belle tensed up for a second, unsure of how she felt of the new contact between the two of them. She relaxed again as she saw how comfortable Ruby was in the new position. Her hand drifted down to the brown and red curls, drawing her fingers through the softness of the other woman's hair. _It's not like I imagined it before… its better_. She thought to herself as she continued to absentmindedly run her hands through Ruby's hair. Neither of them moved for the remainder of the evening, both were content with the closeness they felt with one another.

Hours later, Belle uttered the last few lines of the novel, shutting the book and closing the portal to another world. Ruby hummed her content as they sat together in silence.

"I didn't expect to finish the entire book tonight." Belle commented as she stilled her fingers. Ruby moved her head a little to encourage her to carry on before she spoke.

"It was enthralling."

"Look at you, using grown up words now." The pout caused by her words was evident on Ruby's face. "I'm glad you liked it."

"I really did. I didn't expect to, but I suspect it had something to do with the narrator as well as the author." Belle blushed once again at her words. "You have a really nice voice. Belle."

"Thank you." This time it was Belle who realized that it was probably very late, but avoided looking at the clock so as not to make it a reality. "So, did this experience open you up to the marvelous world of books?"

"I suppose that it did a bit. Tell you what, since you did such a good job picking out this book, that can be your job from now on, kay?"

"What does that entail exactly?" Ruby snuggled closer to the other woman, trying to be as close to her as possible. The thought that she wanted to be that close to Belle scared her, she wasn't sure where it had come from, but she couldn't deny the feeling of everything being right when she was curled up with the other woman.

"It, uh, means that you pick out the books, and whatever you give me, I promise to read."

"And in exchange what I do I have to do for you?" The last deal she made with Ruby had resulted in her agreeing to a night out with the other woman.

"Nothing. Just that, pick out books and I'll read them." A slow smile crossed Belle's face, she had succeeded: Ruby was interested in books.

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea to me." Her eyes drifted closed for a moment, and all of the sudden, she could feel how exhausted she was. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself looking at the clock on the wall. It was well past midnight, almost one thirty in the morning. "Ruby, look at the time."

Her response was a groaned, "I don't wanna."

"It's very late, Rubes, I think it's time that we went to bed." Ruby shut her eyes rapidly, trying not to imagine all the connotations that those words could have. Finally, she had her thoughts under control and sat up, instantly noting the loss of warmth that was Belle.

"Oh, god. You're right." She groaned quietly as she thought about how mad Granny would be if she heard her sneaking back in so late after she'd promised she wouldn't be out too late that night.

"Thank you for tonight." Belle stood when Ruby did, not really wanting the other woman to leave, but knowing that she needed to.

"No, Belle, thank you." When she reached the door, Ruby spun around again rapidly, catching Belle off guard once more. She gave her friend a quick hug, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, before heading out the door and tossing a 'Good night, Belle' behind her.

Belle found herself lying awake in her bed, unable to get the thought of Ruby out of her head. She kept replaying the evening in her mind, recalling what it felt like to have the other woman's weight on her legs, and the soft curls underneath her fingers. Sighing, she rolled over and tried to get herself to sleep.

Across town, Ruby was having a similar problem. She couldn't get the librarian out of her mind. She kept imagining all of the ways their night out on the town could go, all the ways it could end. She imagined the different books that Belle could read to her, and all of the possible outcomes of the two of them cuddling on the couch in front of the fireplace. When she went back to the beginning, and thought of what could have happened if she'd just leaned in a kissed her when she had the chance, she knew she had a problem. Forgetting the time, she reached for her phone, and dialed a number that she knew by heart.

"Ruby? What is it?" Mary Margaret's voice on the other end of the line showed her distress.

"I have a problem, Mary Margaret, I need your help."

"What's…? What's going on, sweetie?" The older woman sat up in bed, her legs hanging off the side in case she needed to rush to her friend. Ruby didn't sound like she was in danger, though.

"Can we meet up to talk?"

"Ruby its past two o'clock in the morning, is this an emergency?"

"Oh, shit, I didn't even notice. God, I'm sorry, go back to sleep." The energy left the red girl's voice as she noticed just what she was doing.

"We'll meet up for breakfast, I'll be there as soon as you open, okay?" When Ruby muttered her consent Mary Margaret hung up the phone, hoping that the problem wasn't dire and that she wasn't making a mistake by going back to sleep.

Ruby sighed, willing herself to sleep the few hours she had left before she had to get up in time to open the diner at 6am and meet up with Mary Margaret. How she was going to explain the situation to her friend, she didn't know.

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**In this story Belle is living in an apartment above the library, not with Rumple. But the two of them are still sorta together... for now :p**

**Please review!**

**Sya**


	4. Meeting for Breakfast

Mary Margaret entered the diner at quarter after six, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Ruby spotted her immediately and hurried to get her coffee ready. There was only one other person in the diner this early, and he seemed to be trying not to fall asleep in his breakfast. Ruby dragged Mary Margaret to the counter, offering her one of the stools and giving her the cup of coffee.

"What's going on, Ruby?" Mary Margaret stifled a yawn as she spoke. She hadn't been able to get much sleep after being woken up in the middle of the night by the phone call. By the looks of the bags under Ruby's eyes, she hadn't been able to sleep much either. Ruby poured herself a cup of coffee as she responded.

"I think – I might sorta… Belle, I mean she's really great and – well we haven't been friends for long but… maybe I –"

"Have a crush on her?" Interrupted the other woman, causing Ruby to choke on her words.

"Yeah." She deflated as she realized all the implications of the statement, leaning against the counter more heavily as she downed her coffee. Mary Margaret noticed for the first time that Ruby wasn't wearing her usual attire. Instead of the amazingly short shorts that she usually wore, she was wearing a pair of read skinny jeans, and her black tee shirt wasn't revealing in the slightest. Her accessories were loud as usual, but she was the most covered that Mary Margaret had ever seen her. Of course, in comparison with the other woman, Mary Margaret felt a bit shoddy. She sported a pair of white slacks and a blue chemise over a black tank top, nothing to be excited over.

"Ruby, you know that she's with Gold, don't you?" Ruby groaned at the thought.

"Yes, I know. But I just can't stop thinking about her. I was with her last night past one in the morning."

"What were you doing?!" Mary Margaret looked aghast, she could imagine plenty of things that would keep the waitress up that late, but not the librarian.

"Just reading, M&M, don't worry. She read a Jules Verne book out loud to me last night, and we read the whole thing." A giant smile spread across Ruby's face as she got lost in her memories, the kind of smile that made her friend smile for her.

"Then we'll just have to do something about Gold, won't we?" The words startled Ruby out of her reverie, and it took a few moments for their meaning to sink in.

"What do you mean?"

"Well we just have to think of some way for Belle to see that Gold isn't the one for her, and that maybe, you are." Ruby felt as though she could dance for joy, if it wasn't for the other patron in the diner.

"How are we going to do that?" This was all so complicated. It should have been just a problem of getting over her nerves and her fear of rejection and going to ask out the gorgeous librarian. But instead, she had to plan with Mary Margaret to show Belle how she was a superior choice to Gold. How was she supposed to do that when we wasn't even sure if Belle felt the same way? "Wait, what if Belle doesn't think about me like that? Then it'll be a big waste of time."

"Okay, do you want to double check that she has feelings for you?" Mary Margaret had a feeling that of the two tasks, this one would be much easier.

"Yes. But how on earth are we going to do that?" The waitress was back to being flustered, nervously refilling each of their cups before bounding over to check on the sleepy man. To her dismay, he had lost his fight with his tiredness, and she had to gently prod him awake and send him on his way.

"Why don't you bring her here for lunch, and I'll watch how the two of you interact?" The idea of seeing the librarian again made Ruby even more nervous, but at the same time she couldn't wait.

"Sure. But I don't think that there will be a whole lot of time for us to talk, lunch around here is always so crazy." The two friends looked instantly dismayed. It was Mary Margaret who caught up first, and began to beam.

"Ruby, you're opening the diner right now that means that you aren't working the lunch shift." The bell jingled, interrupting Ruby's happy face. Instead, she gave an over exaggerated twirl as she went to seat the Mayor and get her usual breakfast order ready.

"And what has you in such a tizzy today, Ruby?" Asked Regina as the bouncy waitress made her way over to her table with her usual coffee and egg wrap.

"Oh, it's just a lovely day out isn't it, Ms. Mills?" The Mayor didn't answer her, her gaze had been caught by something outside the diner.

"Ruby please tell me you have doughnuts here." Huffed Emma Swan as she stepped inside the diner. "I went to the usual place across the street but they're out. How can you be out of doughnuts?" Ruby didn't notice the way the Mayor was still distracted by something, something that was now inside the diner, causing her to miss her plate entirely with her fork.

"Of course we do, Emma. I keep telling you to check here first." Ruby flittered away behind the counter, getting the Sherriff's usual order of sugary confections ready to go.

"Why is she so happy this early?" Emma had meant her voice to be a whisper, but unfortunately for her, this early in the morning her judgment was off, and even the Mayor sitting at her table was able to hear the remark.

"Because, it's just a lovely day outside." The waitress felt as though nothing could bring her down, she was going to have a lunch date with her friend, and Mary Margaret was going to help her get Gold out of the way. In three seconds flat her entire attitude changed, and she was clutching the counter to support herself.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." Mary Margaret spun around on the stool to see what had caused the abrupt change in Ruby's personality. Belle was crossing the street, on her way to the diner. The seated woman stretched out her hand and laid it on Ruby's giving her a few soothing words before the door opened and the bell jangled. Emma gave Mary Margaret a significant glance before sauntering away with her box of doughnuts. Unable to resist the distracted Mayor, Emma whispered a few remarks in the older woman's ear before continuing on her way to the police department. None of the women remaining in the diner noted the red that colored Regina's face following those comments, or the way that she hurriedly finished her breakfast and left the establishment.

"Good morning, Ruby. Good morning, Mary Margaret." Belle's voice brought both of the women back to the present.

"Hey, uhh – good morning Belle." Ruby ducked her head as she stumbled over her words. While Mary Margaret struck up a conversation with the other woman, Ruby went about preparing her usual iced tea and omelet.

"Ruby, I wanted to thank you again for last night, I had a really good time." This time Belle saw how her words affected the other woman, how her hands slipped just slightly as she realized that Belle was talking to her.

"Yeah, me too." Before she could lose her courage, she continued, "Hey, why don't you come over here for lunch today?"

"Sure! I'll try to remember lunch." Her enthusiasm waned a bit when she saw the confusion on Mary Margaret's face. "I tend to get lost in my work, that's why Ruby usually brings me lunch, so that I don't forget to eat."

It was apparent that of the three women, not a single one of them had managed to get a good night's sleep. Each of them was yawning through their tasks, be it eating or in Ruby's case, cleaning. Before long the diner was bustling with customers as the town slowly awoke. Ruby missed Mary Margaret taking her exit, but she caught it when Belle tried to leave without saying anything. She twirled around again to pass through the crowd of people in the diner, ending up beside the quiet woman and giving her a bump with her hip.

"You weren't planning on leaving without saying goodbye, were you?" Belle looked up into Ruby's hazel eyes, getting lost for a moment before remembering to reply.

"No, of course not. You just looked busy."

"I can always find time for you." Ruby couldn't tear her eyes away, even though she knew she should. There was just something about Belle, something that drew her to the other woman, wanting to be closer. Archie bumped into Ruby as he left the diner, causing her to stumble and break eye contact with Belle.

"Oh, my apologies Ruby, I wasn't looking where I was going." The man looked truly upset at having disturbed the two women.

"Its fine, Archie. Have a nice day!" The waitress training in her took over as she spoke. When she looked back to Belle she noticed that her friend look a little lost and confused all of the sudden.

"Hey, are you okay?" Belle looked up again, this time making sure not to look into Ruby's eyes, instead her gaze fell on her lips which were widening into a smile.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I should probably head to work." Ruby sighed as she watched the other woman head out the door.

"Don't forget about lunch!" She shouted to Belle, who was already halfway across the street. She smiled and lifted her hand in a slight wave, ignoring the looks of the people both in the diner and on the street.

"I won't!"

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**Here you go! I'm working hard on not getting distracted on this one. I'm trying to get as many chapters out as I can before the weekend hits and I'm computer-less.**

**Let me know what you think!**

**Sya**


	5. Gold's Visit

Books had always had an enticing quality to them. Belle found that no matter what was going on in her life, all she needed to do was open a book, and she'd be lost in a different world. Given that her own life hadn't been the best, with being institutionalized for so many years, books were her solace. Now, in a time of great confusion, she wanted nothing more than to open up a new book and take off a few hours. Maybe just until lunch time.

But every time that she opened a book she found herself debating whether or not it would be a good one to give to Ruby. Instead of losing herself in a book, or even organizing them like she was supposed to be doing, Belle was meandering around the library trying to find the perfect books to give to the waitress. _That should keep her busy for a while_, Belle thought as she noticed that she had a good stack ready to go. However, the thought came with disappointment as well, she realized that these books were going to be given to Ruby, for her to read on her own. That meant that they wouldn't spend another late night together, curled up on the couch and reading.

Belle lamented the loss of future evenings curled up with Ruby as she returned to her work, trying her hardest to stay concentrated on her books. Never before had there been anything that could keep her away from her books for so long. Except Gold. But even then the difference was obvious. She wanted to help Gold, she knew that he could be a better person if he just tried. But with Ruby, she simply wanted to be close to the other woman, to wrap her arms around her and never let go.

The noise of the door shutting startled her, and for a brief second, Belle thought that Ruby had come to join her before their lunch date. _No, it's not a date, _she scolded herself. Her hopes were dashed when she listened to the footsteps that were approaching. There was an extra noise, not just two feet, but something else as well. A cane. Gold stepped into view just as she figured out who it was. A light smile slipped on to her face, the kind that she usually wore for the man, it was habit.

"Belle, it's so nice to see you here with your books. You seems so happy." Belle didn't fall for it, she knew that he was only here if he wanted something from her.

"What is it that you want, Mr. Gold?"

"An evening with you, my dear." He leaned against the bookshelf, much in the same way that Ruby did when she came to 'help' the librarian with her work. Belle shook her head in an attempt to banish her thoughts of the other woman.

"I'm afraid you've come calling at an inopportune moment, I have plans tonight." Her answer startled him, he hadn't thought that she would possibly make plans without him. After all, she loved him, didn't she?

"Might I inquire as to with whom you have these plans?" He hoped to catch her in her bluff, surely there was some other reason she didn't want to have dinner with him.

"Ruby."

"The girl from the diner? What on earth do you think you're doing with her?" She shifted away from him as his posture grew hostile.

"We're friends" Gold stood up taller, menacingly standing over the smaller girl.

"Why would you be friends with the likes of her?" He spat out angrily.

"Surely you can't presume to tell me with whom I can and cannot be friends, Mr. Gold?"

"No, Belle, of course not. I just don't want to see you getting hurt." Belle let go of the breath that she had been holding when he leaned against the bookshelves again.

"And how would being friends with Ruby cause me to get hurt?" Inside, her feelings soared a little, she was happy that he had wanted her to be safe. Maybe it meant that he was changing, slowly.

"A woman like that – out all hours of the night. A new man in her bed every night. Why would you want to learn how to be like that?" And just like that her elated feelings descended, he simply wanted her to be the same old maid she'd always been.

"She does not have a new man in her bed every night, she simply dresses as she pleases. And why can't I change? Why must I live with books forever?" Gold sighed, brushing a hand over his face before he answered her.

"It's not who you are, Belle. You belong with me. Not running around the town all night with someone like her." She pushed herself towards him, getting into his space.

"I am her friend, Mr. Gold. I belong with whoever I chose to be with. Perhaps some other night we can spend the evening together, but as I have already told you, I have plans tonight." Knowing that he wasn't going to win the argument, Belle had stuck out her chin in the way that meant she wasn't backing down, Gold figured it was time to take his leave. But he couldn't without one last parting shot.

"I'll be here for you when some poor idiot that she introduces you to breaks your heart, Belle."

Following Gold's appearance in the library, Belle found it easier to lose herself in her books. She remembered to pull out any that seemed like they were a good fit to Ruby, but beyond that she paid attention solely to where each book belonged. Every once in a while she would glance at the clock, but it wasn't yet time to head over to the diner for lunch.

Ruby nearly dropped another cup as she watched Gold enter the library across the street. She didn't want to know what he was doing there with Belle, she just wanted him to disappear. As hard as she thought about it, she couldn't make him go *poof*. However, he was only in the library for a few minutes, and when he left he didn't look entirely pleased. He passed the diner, throwing a hard glare at the waitress as she watched him pass by.

Granny yelled at her, gaining her attention once again, but she couldn't get her mind off of Gold. What was he doing in the library? Why was he so angry when he left? She repressed those thoughts, knowing that if her grandmother had to yell at her again to get her to heed what she was doing then she would be in serious trouble. Her Granny already thought something was wrong with her, there was no need to and wood to the flames. Ruby went back to wiping down tables and clearing the dishes, waiting for it to be lunch time. Waiting to see Belle.

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**It's short, I know. I was trying to get this part done before starting the Lunch scene. I wanted that to be a piece of its own.**

**Please review, it's what keeps me writing!**

**Sya**


	6. Granny's Diner

The second that the clock struck noon Belle was on her way out of the library. Ruby was hanging up her apron, and placing her lunch order along with Belle's with the chef. Mary Margaret was on her way down from the school to help out Ruby over her lunch break.

"Hey, Ruby." The younger woman wasn't startled, she had heard the door chime, and recognized the footsteps of her favorite librarian.

"Hey, Belle, I'm glad to see you remembered to look up from your books to the clock at least once." Mary Margaret entered the establishment to see Belle laughing lightly at Ruby, and raising her hand to touch the other woman's shoulder but thinking better of it. She sat down at the counter, a suitable distance away from the table where her friends were sitting. She was so absorbed in watching how they interacted that she missed it when Granny asked her what she wanted.

"I was actually looking forward to this." Belle dropped her head as she spoke, not sure how Ruby was going to respond.

"Oh?" When she looked up she saw interest all over Ruby's face.

"Mr. Gold dropped by to visit me today." Ruby clenched her jaw, doing her best not to pry into what had happened. Belle seemed to be in a talking mood, for she continued her story without needed a prompting question from her friend. "He asked me to spend the evening with him, but I told him that I already had plans with you. He didn't seem to like that very much."

"Do we still have plans tonight then?" As much as she tried, Ruby couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice. If Gold didn't want Belle doing something then Belle probably wasn't going to argue too much. She jumped suddenly as she felt the brush of Belle's fingers on hers. Her heart started pumping loudly in her ears and all she could focus on was the gentle way that the other woman's hand clenched hers. The way that her soft fingers wrapped around her hand.

"Of course we do. Mr. Gold does not control what I do, as much as he would enjoy that." The words slipped softly out of her without her thinking of them to clearly. Belle's attention was caught by the slight gasp that Ruby had emitted when their hands touched. She stayed the way she was, unsure if the gasp had been a good one or a bad one, afraid that any sort of movement might draw the other woman to senses and have her pull away.

Across the diner, Mary Margaret paused in her consumption of her lunch when she noticed how quiet things were at the table. She noted the hands held together, and the way that both women seemed to be captivated by such a simple thing.

Belle's worries were assuaged when she felt Ruby squeeze her fingers. "Good, I'm glad." Said the taller woman. "I'm really looking forward to tonight."

"Strangely, I am as well. I wouldn't have expected to be so thrilled about it, but I'm sure that whatever you have planned for us will be very fun." Belle looked up to see Ruby staring at her, a wide smile on her face. Seeing her so happy made Belle smile as well. For a few moments they sat in silence, simply staring at one another, focusing on the way the other smiled as well as the way their hands felt together. Mary Margaret smiled to herself, it seemed that she didn't need to be paying too close of attention to the two women, anyone could notice the chemistry between them. Granny brought out two plates, with food on them that she instantly recognized. Mary Margaret reached out her hand to stop the older woman.

"Why don't you just give them a few minutes? I'm sure they won't miss their food for a while." Granny glanced over to the table, smiling slightly as she saw the smiles that graced the two women's faces. Their joined hands didn't escape her notice either.

"I think you're right about that." She placed the plates on the counter and went about her business, leaving the table in peace.

"So what exactly do you have planned for us tonight?" Belle's curiosity won the battle that was raging inside her head. Between wanting to stay quiet in the hopes that nothing would change, and needing to know the exact plan for the night, her curiosity won.

"Well, you're going to need a different outfit, that's for sure." She looked down at her modest navy blue dress as Ruby laughed slightly.

"Why do I need a different dress?" The one that she was wearing was a comfortable one, perfect for any sort of activity, short of running or something.

"Because that is not a club dress. And you promised me a night out. That means going to the Rabbit Hole." Belle gulped lightly, unsure of how she felt about spending the night at a club. Ruby saw the nervousness that she tried to hide. "Don't worry, I'll be with you the whole time."

Ruby gave her hand a second squeeze before pulling away. They'd been holding hands for longer than would normally be deemed acceptable. Belle let out a deep breath, moving her hand to the hem of her dress to fidget with it. It seemed that they had pulled away just in time, as Granny arrived with their plates.

"Here you go my dears. I hope the library is going well for you, Belle." She looked up at the kindness of the old woman.

"Yes, it is. I do love books." She answered with a smile. It seemed that nothing but books and Ruby could put that exact smile on her face.

"I'm glad. Enjoy your lunch." With Granny's departure the two women dug into their food, neither knew what to say to the other. Mary Margaret watched for a few more minutes, not sure if they were going to continue to talk, or simply sit there in silence. When nothing happened by the time that she'd finished her food, she figured that what she'd seen was evidence enough, and took her leave.

"Ruby, I wanted to thank you. You've been such a great friend to me, I really appreciate it." Once their plates were cleared, Belle thought it safe to resume the conversation. She knew that Ruby generally got very consumed with food when she was eating, to the point where she wouldn't even notice if Belle, or anyone else was talking.

"It's easy being friends with you, you're so amazing. And you teach me new words." Ruby added with a smile. She couldn't help but notice the soft blush that colored Belle's cheeks at her words. She couldn't wait to take the woman out that night, to get her a little intoxicated and see what kind of secrets might slip out.

"I think it's time that I head back to work. Thank you for lunch Ruby. I always do enjoy our time together." Ruby stood when she did, leaning in to wrap her arms around the smaller woman before she lost her courage. The feeling that she'd had when their hands had touched, it was nothing compared to the feeling of Belle's body flush with hers, their arms wrapping around each other. Belle tried her hardest to control her breathing and her racing heartbeat, but to no avail. She felt safe and warm wrapped up in the other woman. She didn't want to leave. All she wanted was to stay put, to be with her forever. But forever was cut short when Ruby realized they'd been hugging for a hair too long and pulled away. She fought to contain her groan at the loss of contact.

Belle told herself that she wasn't thinking straight when she made the next movement. She told herself it was because of how close she was to Ruby, that's why she wasn't thinking right. She leaned forward, pressed up on the tops of her toes to leave a light kiss on Ruby's cheek. She could feel the heat emanating from the other woman, and from her own cheeks. She ducked her head once more, rushing out of the diner and across the street, not seeing that Ruby stood completely still, save for the hand that she raised to her cheek. She wasn't going to forget what that felt like, to have Belle's lips pressed against her skin any time soon.

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**I have a lot to do today so it's not as long as I'd like. Hopefully I'll have time to post another chapter tonight.**

**Please review!**

**Sya**


	7. Getting Ready

The afternoon passed more quickly than the morning had. While Belle was still having a difficult time getting Ruby out of her head she also had Gold to contend with. The thought of him, and his opinions about Ruby and what she ought to be able to do, pressed her to lose herself in her work.

After a few hours of rooting through books and organizing them, she decided to call it quits. She still needed to go out and buy a dress for the evening. Reaching for her purse, Belle was exceedingly glad that the city had started to pay her for her work in the library even though it wasn't open yet. Otherwise, she would have had to go to Gold in order to acquire money for a new outfit, and that was out of the question.

There weren't very many stores in town, so of course she would run into someone she knew while trying on dresses.

"Emma? What are you doing here?" She inquired as she left the dressing room to check out her latest selection in the mirror. The black dress was shorter than she was used to, it ended just below her ass. The top was a little more modest, it was shaped like a t-shirt, with a border that matched the bottom: small strings of fabric filling in spaces that looked like they'd been cut out of the dress. All together it was a little too showy for her comfort.

"Wow! Belle, who are you getting all dressed up for? I never would have figured you for a wild girl." The blonde stopped and admired the way the dress clung tightly to the other woman, whoever it was for was a lucky person.

"Oh, Ruby and I are going out tonight and she said I needed a club dress. So, here I am…" She trailed off with a light laugh.

"Well that looks amazing on you. I need to find something quick too." Belle glanced at her in the mirror, fussing with her dress. "Henry invited me to dinner with him and Regina. I figure if I show up in a nice dress it will stave off the insults for at least a little while."

"Need any help?" Belle knew how intimidating it could be to be in the presence of the Mayor, the perfect dress would be needed to get Emma's confidence up.

"No, we need to focus on you first." Emma stepped forward, pulling the brunette's hands away from the hemline they were tugging at. "The dress is perfect, Ruby will love it and so will everyone at the club. Now we need to find the rest of the outfit."

"What do you mean?"

"The shoes, the necklace, the bracelets, your hair..." Belle gasped as she heard the entire list.

"I need all of that?" Sometimes Belle felt inadequate in the world. There was so much that she didn't quite understand, secret rules and phrases that she never learned. All of the sudden it overwhelmed her, if Emma hadn't been there to help her she would have missed these things, and Ruby might laugh at her. Or not want to be seen with her, or –

"Hey, relax, it's not that big a deal, Belle. We don't have to do those if you don't want, it's just a bit extra." Emma could see the panic painted all over the other woman's face. She knew what it was like to feel out of her element, hell she was about to go have dinner at the Mayor's house for god's sake.

"I just – I want things to be just right tonight." The Sheriff couldn't help but chuckle at the light smile on the librarian's face. It was apparent just how important the night was to her, how important looking good for Ruby was to her.

"Then we'll get you looking perfect. C'mon, the shoes are over here." Before the words managed to be fully processed in her brain, Belle felt herself be pulled away from the mirror. Apparently, Emma Swan is secretly a girl at heart. Her wardrobe generally wouldn't suggest it, but it seemed to Belle that she knew everything that there was to know about clothing and accessories.

Before long Belle found herself toting not only a pair of nice black heels, but numerous bracelets including one that was simply two straps of leather but Emma insisted would look 'totally badass' on her, as well as a few necklaces and another new outfit. Emma had convinced her to try on a variety of different clothing options in order to 'find her style'. Out of the endeavor had come a pair of black skinny jeans and a blue sleeveless button-up shirt with a low neckline and without much of a back, and a new pair of earrings.

"Now all that's left is getting you into that skimpy dress and fixing your hair." Stated Emma as the two women checked out. She had managed to find a dress that would work for her needs that night in between picking out crazy outfits for Belle to try.

"Can we do it fast? Ruby's coming to get me in an hour." Luckily for them Storybrooke isn't very large, and it didn't take much time for them to traverse the streets on the way to Belle's apartment.

"Don't worry, I've got everything covered." When Emma paused on the street to let Mary Margaret know that she wasn't going to be home for dinner, Belle huffed and scuffed her foot on the sidewalk. She was nervous about getting ready in time, she didn't know everything that was involved in getting ready to go clubbing and she wanted to make sure that Emma had enough time to get her ready. Emma picked up on her nervousness and bade her roommate goodbye, leading the quiet woman back to her place.

"Now just hold still will you! I can't get the mascara to work properly if you keep moving." Belle was sitting on her bed, dressed and ready to go, save for her makeup and hair. When she glanced at the clock she saw that Ruby was going to be there in just fifteen minutes, and she wasn't able to keep her body still.

"I'm sorry. She's going to be here soon, can you hurry?"

"I'm almost done." Emma stepped back to take a look at her friend. "Good. Now you just need a touch of eye shadow, blue I think, and you'll be set."

"What about my hair?"

"It looks perfect down. Just need to make sure the curls stay." Emma half mumbled to herself as she busied herself with winding Belle's hair around the hairbrush and spraying it lightly with hairspray. When that was done she had Belle take a look at herself in the mirror. All put together, she looked amazing.

"What do you think?"

"I think I look very different." She turned around, staring at herself as she twirled. "A good different. Thank you so much Emma."

"No problem. Now, I gotta go get ready for my dinner, will you be okay until Ruby gets here?" Belle ran over and gave her a big hug.

"Of course you do, go go go! I'll be fine. Thank you so much for all your help today." With another hug Emma was ushered out of the apartment.

Belle had only a few minutes to wait impatiently, bouncing on her bed, before she heard the knock on the door. In record time she made it to the door of her home, excited to see how Ruby had dressed for their night out.

"Woah, you look –" Ruby faltered as she got a good look at the normally innocent librarian. Tonight she looked anything but. "Amazing. You look amazing."

"Thank you, you do as well." The words almost caught in her throat as she examined the short, really short, dress that Ruby was wearing. It had a plunging neckline, with three strands of fabric holding the two sides together, and it ended about the same place hers did, right under her butt. The dress looked to be skin tight, it didn't leave too much to the imagination. Her hair was left down as well, the red standing out in compliment with the bright red dress. Her black boots marked a stark contrast to the red that was everywhere else on the tall woman.

"Shall we?"

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**Did you see what I did there with the clothes? Or tried to do.. I didn't really know how to describe them all that well.**

**This is probably one of the last ones before I'm computerless this weekend. There might be one more tomorrow morning.**

**Please review (I hope you liked it!)**

**Sya**


	8. In the Rabbit Hole

Since it was Friday night, there were a load of people in the Rabbit Hole. It didn't matter much to Ruby, she knew that she be able to get them a table anyway, she always could, but Belle seemed nervous about the sheer amount of people crammed in the club.

"What do you want to drink?" Ruby's lips were suddenly very close to her ear. Belle fought the urge to shudder at the contact.

"Oh, I don't know. Whatever you're having." Ruby grabbed her hand, leading her through the throngs of people.

"I got a better idea." She said when they'd reached the bar. "Alice! Hey, Alice!"

A beautiful blonde at the other end of the bar heeded Ruby's call, sauntering over to the pair.

"What can I get you girls?" Belle took in her athletic body, the way that her short skirt and low tank top showed off her tight body, and she couldn't help but think that she liked the way Ruby looked better.

"A long island iced tea and a rum and coke for me please." Ruby had hardly glanced at Alice when she came over, she was used to seeing the bartender in revealing clothes, and it was part of what brought so many patrons into the bar.

"No, Ruby, I'd like a drink, I don't need an iced tea." Belle struggled to make herself heard over the sound of the music.

"Don't worry, babe, there's more than just tea in this." Alice handed over the drink with a soft smile. "First time out in a while?"

"Try first time ever." Ruby found it time to interrupt their little game, lest Alice get any ideas.

"C'mon, let's go get a table." Looking around her, Belle noticed that every table was full, and she was about to ask Ruby how she planned on getting them a table when Ruby stopped abruptly.

"Hey, boys." At her words the three men at the table stopped their conversation to stare at her and Belle. "Can you do us a favor, pleeease?"

Belle was astounded at the way she got the men to do whatever she wanted, it must have something to do with the way she elongated her words and pouted at them, she surmised.

"See, now we have a table." The three men had left almost as soon as the question was out of Ruby's mouth, and she was proud of herself for being able to have them wrapped around her finger with just a few words.

"So what now?"

"Now we drink." Ruby had already finished the majority of her drink, she knew that she'd need quite a bit more if she was to survive an entire evening at the club with Belle dressed like that.

"Do you come here a lot?" Belle was careful to sip her drink, she knew that there was probably copious amounts of alcohol in it, even though she couldn't taste it very much.

"Are you trying to pick me up, Belle? 'Cause I'm sure your books can teach you better lines than that." Ruby laughed as Belle's face turned to match her outfit.

"No, no I – uh I was just wondering if you spend a lot of time here." She hid behind her drink after she spoke, trying to avoid the woman who was teasing her.

"Yeah, I guess. It's a fun place if you're looking for a nice night, or you have nothing else to do. Woah, Belle, slow down there. We've got all night." Belle had forgotten the alcohol in the drink and had drained her glass.

"Oh, right." She hadn't noticed what she was doing, she'd been too busy focusing on the way that Ruby's dress slid up a little when she sat down on her stool. She'd been watching the way her chest heaved when she spoke loudly to be heard over all the other noises. She'd been paying attention to the way that her long hair slid back and forth over her shoulders as she moved. She couldn't get herself to stop staring at Ruby.

"Why don't I get us a few shots, and then we'll dance?" Belle tore her eyes away from her in-depth analysis of Ruby's hem line to look her in the eyes. She nodded once and the other woman was suddenly gone. She wasn't quite sure of what she had agreed to, and while she was sad that Ruby had left, however momentarily, she was _very_ happy to watch her walking away.

"Here we go." Ruby came back with a small tray adorned with four shots, a few slices of lemons, and a salt shaker.

"What's all this for?" Ruby did a double-take before she realized that Belle had never had more than a glass of wine before, let alone done shots.

"Okay so first you lick you hand, right in between your thumb and your first finger, then you pour salt there. Next you lick the salt, down the shot, and suck on the lime." She pantomimed each step as she got to it, trying to make sure that Belle understood what she was saying over the noise. When she received another nod of ascent, she licked her own hand and pour salt on it before handing it over to Belle. Together they did the remainder of the steps, Ruby almost had to force the lime into her friend's mouth when she was grimacing at the taste of the alcohol.

"Good! Now how do you feel?" Belle could feel the warmth spreading through her body, more so than she had been able to with the tea which was cold. She smiled warmly up at Ruby, liking the way that a matching smile spread over the other woman's face.

"I think I like these." They did the second shot together, and this time Belle remembered to do the lime by herself. "So, do you always lick the salt off your hand, or can it be licked off of other places?" Belle caught her lip in between her teeth, surprised that her mouth had let the words escape before her brain had had time to process them fully.

"Uh –" Ruby gulped. She wasn't sure how to answer. She followed Belle's eyes as they ran up and down her body once more. "It can certainly be licked off of anywhere." The two women stared at each other, neither wanting to look away. Some guy ran into Ruby in his rush to get to the bathrooms, breaking their stare. Rather than let herself get locked in again, Ruby grabbed Belle's hand and dragged her to the dance floor.

"What are we doing?" Belle's breath was hot against her neck, and Ruby almost tripped when she felt how close Belle was.

"Dancing." She responded merrily. They stood in the middle of the dance floor, facing each other. Even though there were plenty of other people around, they only noticed each other. Belle felt out of place, she had no idea how to do what the other women were doing, let alone what Ruby was doing. The woman in question was gyrating, moving her body slowly to the music. She spun herself around her partner, pressing herself against Belle's back, grinding them to the music. She placed Belle's hands at her sides, running them up and down her legs and stomach, teaching the woman how to move.

Belle could feel the heat coming from Ruby, and she could feel the heavy breaths landing on the back of her neck. She knew that the alcohol was affecting her, she felt warm and loose, like anything in the world was possible. The pressure of Ruby's pelvis on her ass made her take a deep breath and take note of exactly what Ruby was doing. She mimicked every movement, figuring out how it felt to slide along to the beat, gaining confidence in her own abilities. She watched another woman in her same position, with her partner behind her, slide her body down, almost to the ground, and push back into the body of her partner as she rose. Quickly she moved to match the other woman, sure that if her man had liked it that much then Ruby would too. She felt Ruby's gasp of surprise as she lowered herself, and felt Ruby grab her tighter as she rose, pushing herself back into the taller woman.

A small circle of men had surrounded them as they danced, and neither of them noticed. As Ruby moved her hands to Belle's waist, trying to gain more friction between the two of them one of the men howled his appreciation. Ruby had the presence of mind to glare at him, but Belle was too lost in the dancing and Ruby was quickly pulled back in. Belle reached her arm up and around Ruby's neck, pulling her closer as they moved together.

It was Alice who broke up the gaggle of men around them, telling them each to mind their own business and watch from afar if they must. The two women continued dancing together for a long while. Long past the time that their glasses were removed from the table and someone else took it over. Past the time when most of the other customers decided that it was getting late and left. They might have even continued dancing till last call, if it hadn't been for Belle's need to use the bathroom. Reluctantly she pulled away, explaining her need when Ruby looked at her quizzically.

"It's getting late, I should probably get you home." Ruby was waiting with their purses when Belle emerged from the bathroom.

"Okay." She couldn't help but feel a disappointed that Ruby wanted their evening to end. She stumbled a little when she tried to walk out of the bar, but Ruby's arms were there to catch her and hold her steady.

"I forgot that you don't drink much, of course you can't hold you liquor." Instead of being offended, Belle took advantage of her position, and snuggled herself closer to the taller woman, tucking herself into her chest as they walked. Because the town was so small it took only a few minutes to get them to Belle's apartment, and she had to pull away from Ruby.

"Thank you for tonight." She mumbled, not looking up from the ground.

"Did you have fun?" Ruby stretched out a finger, placing it under Belle's chin and forcing her to look up. She didn't need the librarian going all shy on her now. The look in Belle's eyes was captivating, she wasn't being shy at all, and she looked to be a bit scared. But there was a confidence shining behind everything that Ruby wasn't used to yet. She didn't realize that her lips had fallen open as she looked into Belle's eyes, or that her tongue darted out to wet them, but Belle noticed. She couldn't help herself, instead of answering she simply reached out and pulled Ruby closer to her.

Belle slipped her hand up to the back of Ruby's neck, holding her in place, while Ruby's hand still rested on her chin. She leaned forward, never breaking eye contact with the other woman. Belle didn't give her a chance to pull back before she smashed their lips together. The moan that emanated from the taller woman was unmistakable.

Ruby leaned into their kiss, pressing their lips together more firmly, pulling Belle closer to her body. She swiped her tongue across Belle's lower lip, practically begging for entrance which she wasn't denied. Their tongue fought together for a few moments before Ruby's won. They stood together, arms wrapped around each other and lips practically fused together in the middle of the night.

* * *

**Last one till monday! I hope you liked it.**

**Please Review! It makes me write faster**

**Sya**


	9. Morning After

It was nearly two o'clock in the morning when Mary Margaret was woken up by the sound of her phone ringing… again.

"Ruby? What is it?" The creaks in her voice showed how tired and out of it she was.

"I have a problem. Such a problem. But I'm really happy about it, and I shouldn't be, but I am." Her words slurred together slightly, letting Mary Margaret see how drunk she was.

"Slow down sweetie, what's going on? Try full and complete sentences this time."

"Belle – I uh, we sorta, well, we kissed." Mary Margaret sat straight up in bed.

"What?!" She exclaimed before remembering to keep her voice down so as not to wake her roommate. When she heard no noises coming from the other bedroom she figured she was safe.

"We went out drinking at the Rabbit's Hole tonight and we danced. God, did we dance. She's perfect, M&M, perfect. I can't even describe to you what dancing with her was like. I walked her home and when I asked her if she had fun she kissed me!" Ruby was pacing around her room as she spoke, forgetting that there was a need to remain quiet due to her grandmother.

"Was it a peck on the cheek or a full-on –" She barely had the words out of her mouth before Ruby spoke.

"Full on kiss. More like a make-out really. Tongues were involved. God, I love her tongue. I don't know how she learned to kiss like that from her books but, god, I loved it." The sleepy woman did her best not to mention where else Belle might have learned to kiss- from Mr. Gold. Ruby would not take that news very well, especially in her current state.

"Okay, Ruby sweetie, I need to get some sleep. Why don't I meet you for breakfast again and you can tell me all about it, kay?" There was a moment of pause, during which Mary Margaret thought that her friend might have fallen asleep.

"Will you help me come up with a way to make Gold go away?" The voice coming from the other end of the phone was suddenly very quiet and faded.

"Yes, of course I will. We'll do tons of brainstorming okay?" It wasn't hard to hear the sigh that came from Ruby, sometimes reality can be painful.

"Okay. G'night M&M." She waited until she was sure that Ruby had hung up the phone before she laid back down. She tried to think of a few ideas of how to get rid of Mr. Gold, but she drifted off before she got very far in any of them.

A few hours later Mary Margaret was awake before her alarm went off for her to meet Ruby. She shuffled slowly out of her bedroom, almost jumping out of her skin when she saw that there was someone in the kitchen. It turned out to be Emma a surprising thing since she generally slept as late as possible.

"Why are you up so early?" The blonde spun around at the sound of her roommate's voice, clutching her mug of coffee to her chest.

"God, Mary Margaret you scared the shit out of me!" As the brunette apologized Emma stepped forward, setting her mug on the counter.

"I wasn't able to sleep well after I was woken up in the middle of the night by another phone call."

"Someone called you too?"

"No." Mary Margaret looked ashamed.

"Oh, I am so sorry about that, I thought that I was being quiet and I didn't mean to wake you up." Emma walked past Mary Margaret, patting her on the shoulder as she walked by.

"It's fine, I had a late night anyway. I probably wouldn't have gotten much sleep. There's some coffee for you. Do you want me to start some breakfast?" She sighed when she saw the way that her roommate was looking at her, obviously remembering past cooking experiences. "I promise I won't burn the pancakes this time."

"Actually, I'm heading down to Granny's. Ruby needs to talk to me about something important, care to join me?" Mary Margaret wasn't sure that she'd ever seen Emma move so fast.

"Is it about Belle?" She had to stop herself from taking a step back as Emma stepped so close that she was invading her personal space.

"Yes but how did you know?" Emma smiled lightly to herself, obviously pleased at her friend's answer.

"I helped her pick out her dress for their night out. She seemed really eager to find an outfit that would please Ruby." Before Mary Margaret had a chance to reply, Emma had made her way to the door, grabbing both of their coats and slipping her shoes on. "C'mon, I want to hear about their night!" She hastened to obey.

The diner was still quiet when they made their appearance. Ruby was sitting at the counter, obviously waiting for Mary Margaret, she had a cup of coffee and a ham omelet sitting next to her.

"Hey sweetie. How are you doing?" The taller woman shot up, spinning around at the sound of the bell.

"Mary Mar - Emma! What are you doing here?" Ever the hostess, Ruby started to get Emma's usual order ready to go.

"I heard the midnight phone call so I was up early, Mary Margaret said that she was coming here and I thought I'd join you." It was apparent that Ruby didn't want her there, she deflated a little as she continued to work on the food. "Don't worry, I know about everything." Ruby's eyes shot up and she froze. "I helped Belle pick out her dress last night, she looked very eager to look her best for you. It wasn't hard to figure out."

"Oh, I – uh, okay. Well here's your doughnut." Both women gratefully accepted the food that Ruby offered them, taking their seats at the counter to speak with Ruby.

"Alright, enough small talk. Spill Ruby." While her friends were picking at their food Ruby launched into a tirade of the events of the previous night. By the time that she got to the dancing, Emma and Mary Margaret were having a hard time listening to the story – Ruby wasn't leaving out any details. They both looked away when Ruby began to describe the kiss in every detail, trying to explain to them exactly how it felt when Belle's tongue first touched hers.

"It was just amazing. There's something between us, I can just feel it. It's not just me." She finished quietly, a stark contrast to the vibrant way she'd been telling the story previously.

"If what you just told us about the dance and the kiss is all true," Ruby looked affronted, as though she should never be accused of lying. "Then yes, it is most definitely reciprocated."

"You think so, Ems?"

"Oh, yes I do. Have you talked to her yet?" Mary Margaret looked at her astonished.

"It's barely past six in the morning! Why would they have talked already?" She laughed lightly before moving the conversation away from Belle and towards Gold. "There has to be a way to show her that he isn't right for her. I'm guessing that she's slowly coming to that conclusion herself, but she's going to need an extra push to walk away from him completely. He's one of her only connections here."

"Maybe we ignore him and focus on how Belle and Ruby feel about each other. Their feelings can outweigh the way that Belle sticks to Mr. Gold." The three of them sat together for nearly an hour, discussing all the ways, ranging from outrageous to potentially plausible, that they could get Gold to let go of Bella and vice versa. Their conversation was interrupted by a few patrons, but they made sure to keep their voices down. It was only when the phone rang that Ruby put a hold on their talk.

"Granny's, this is Ruby." The woman stood up straight after whoever it was on the other line spoke, drawing the attention of the two women sitting at the counter.

"Yeah, of course, that sounds great." There was a pause, during which Mary Margaret and Emma stared at her expectantly, but she didn't pay any attention to them. "I'd love to. I'm sorry about that. I'll bring dinner. Yes, I'll see you then."

"Belle?" Mary Margaret leaned across the counter and spoke in a soft whisper, getting her confirmation when Ruby's cheeks flared up. Emma joined her and added her own question.

"What'd you plan?"

"We're getting together tonight, in the library. It's going to be another quiet night, it seems that she doesn't have a good tolerance for the amount of alcohol we drank last night and doesn't feel too great. We're going to stay in and read another book." It was adorable the way that Ruby smiled as she talked about the plans that she had that night. If there was any doubt in the minds of Emma or Mary Margaret about the way that Ruby felt about Belle before, it was certainly gone now. Their conversation didn't have chance to continue, Mary Margaret had to head to the school while Emma had to head to the Sheriff's office. They left Ruby to ponder not only her date that night, but how to rid her life, and Belle's of Gold.

On the other hand, Belle slept wonderfully the night before, dreaming of many things that she and Ruby could do together. None of them could be mentioned in any polite society. When she awoke and thought on everything she'd dreamed about, she realized that she would probably never mention anything that she'd dreamed to anyone. While her head pounded, her brain told her that the reason for it was that she hadn't had enough water the night before. She took a few painkillers, but nothing would make the sick feeling in her stomach go away.

It took less than a second to banish the thought of going to Granny's for breakfast, the thought of eating anything made her stomach churn in ways that she wasn't accustomed to. Instead, it was a quiet morning for her, she went about her normal routine and started working on the books. She moved slowly so as not to aggravate her stomach or head any further. After the third time she caught herself day dreaming about Ruby, and various activities, she let herself go.

After the phone call she felt slightly better, she knew that she and Ruby were on solid ground, the other woman had seemed very excited to hear from her.

A few hours later, just when she was contemplating going in search of some sort of nutrients, she heard someone enter the library. This time it was easy to identify the footsteps – it was Mr. Gold again. She sighed to herself, she was in no mood to deal with him, while her body was disagreeing with her due to the alcohol, her mind was in heaven due to the kiss she'd had the night before. Even being around Mr. Gold had not felt as good as it had to be around Ruby the night before, and the night before that.

"Belle?" She was never one to be impolite.

"I'm back here, Mr. Gold." He sauntered in between the stack, smiling a little when he noticed that she winced slightly at the noise of his cane.

"I see that your night out didn't agree with you. I hope that you learned from that experience." Belle held back the urge to roll her eyes.

"I had a good time. Ruby took good care of me." It was Gold's turn to flinch at the mention of her name.

"Well, then I'm sure that you are feeling up to accompanying me to dinner tonight. Seeing as our plans were set aside last night." It was almost as though he never listened to a word that she said, Belle stopped herself from getting angry, that wouldn't help anything.

"I must apologize again, but I have plans for tonight as well." She shrunk back against the shelves as he stepped closer.

"Tell me that you aren't planning on spending more time with that woman." Belle did her best to keep her chin high as she answered him.

"I am, Mr. Gold. She is my friend and I have already agreed to have dinner with her tonight." Suddenly, he wasn't just an imposing man, suddenly he was full of rage. He lashed out, grabbing her arm with his free hand and jerking her towards him.

"Don't you dare tell me that the two of you are friends! I know what kind of woman she is. She takes everyone into her bed, and I won't have you falling for that. She is not someone that I want you associating with, ever again." When she opened her mouth to give a retort, he dropped the can and grabbed her other arm, shaking her vigorously.

"You will not see her anymore. I'll not have you being drawn in by her magnetism, you are mine."

"I am not yours. I am my own woman, and Ruby respects that." The slap was unexpected, and it drew tears to her eyes. Her mouth fell open in surprise, and she used all of her force to push Mr. Gold off of her.

"Get away from me!" He resisted, but not as hard as he could have, he wasn't sure what had possessed him to hit her, but he was having a hard time feeling regret for it. Belle broke out of his hold, running for the door. "Get out of here!"

The run to Granny's was short, Belle didn't care that it was towards the end of the lunch rush and there were plenty of customers in the diner. All that she cared about was that she needed Ruby, and she needed her now.

"Ruby!" Her shout drew the attention of everyone in the establishment, including both Ruby and Granny. Ruby stepped forward, worry etched across her face. When she saw the red handprint on Belle's face, the pinpricks of blood that were coming from where fingernails must have struck her, she froze. Belle barreled into her, and Ruby did her best to support her weight. She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman, encompassing her and trying to will away her tears.

"What happened, Belle?"

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**I worked on this from almost the time I got home. Feel loved, I've stayed up very late to write this for you.**

**Please enjoy and review!  
**

**Sya**


	10. Seeking Comfort

Ruby led Belle away from the crowd in the diner, not wanting her to be the center of attention. Granny backed out of the way, shooing anyone who made an attempt to follow away, including Emma. The trip up the stairs was short, and Belle found herself in Ruby's room for the first time.

"Sit down honey." When she say the state of disarray that the bed was in, sheets and blankets tangled together and strewn haphazardly across the bed, she nearly smiled, but the pain in her cheek reminded her what had just happened. Fresh tears started to fall. Ruby sat her down gently on the edge of the bed and sat with her back against the headboard before pulling Belle backwards and into her embrace.

With being nestled in between Ruby's legs, wrapped up into her chest, Belle felt safe. Her tears slowed, and her breath hitched when Ruby tilted her face upwards, wiping the tear tracks away. She knew that she must look terrible, eyes rimmed with red, face puffy not to mention the hand print on her cheek, but the way that Ruby was looking at her, as though she was the most precious thing in the world made her feel infinitely better.

"Shh, it's okay sweetie. Take your time. I'm right here." In response Belle lowered her head to Ruby's shoulder, curling up to be closer to the other woman, if that was possible. Her tears slowed while her breaths lengthened, and she unconsciously nuzzled her nose into Ruby's neck. As hard as she tried, Ruby couldn't stop her heart from beating faster at Belle's actions, or merely at the fact that Belle was so close to her. She ran her hand up and down the other woman's back, trying to sooth her. She knew that Belle wouldn't talk to her until she was ready.

"I'm not going anywhere, you're safe here." Ruby continued to speak softly to Belle, calming her down from her fright.

"Thank you." The words were barely audible, but Ruby caught them. When Belle sat up a little so that she could look the taller woman in the face, Ruby was sad at the loss of contact.

"Of course. I'm here for you, always." She reached over and brushed the hair out from in front of Belle's face, tucking the brown locks behind her ear so that she had an unobstructed view of her face. "Do you want to tell me what happened? You don't have to, we can just sit here."

"I uh – I don't know." More tears glistened in her eyes and Ruby hastened to wrap her arms around her again, seeking to give her comfort.

"It's okay, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." There was silence for a few moments, but Ruby was happy that there weren't any more sobs.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." Again the words were barely above a whisper, but with her mouth so close to Ruby's ear it wasn't hard for her to hear them.

"Belle, you're the one that's hurt. It's me that should be worrying about you, not the other way around. I won't get hurt." The tenderness in Ruby's voice as well as her concern almost brought Belle to tears again.

"Promise me you won't get mad?" Ruby sighed, pulling Belle closer into her body before she responded.

"I promise. I could never get mad at you." Fearing that if she didn't speak now she would never say what she needed to, Belle didn't correct Ruby, instead she slowly began to tell her story. She could tell how angry Ruby was getting when she got to the part about Mr. Gold telling her to stay away, but she didn't let it stop her. The woman beneath her was positively shaking in anger when she explained how he'd hit her for disobeying him. For saying that she was her own woman.

"Oh, God Belle. How on earth could he do that?! Nothing about that was ok –" Seeing another display of uncontrolled anger, Belle ducked her head. She knew that Ruby had every right to be angry, but she couldn't handle seeing so much rage again. Ruby noticed her mistake as soon as she started shouting, and stopped instantly. She forced herself to calm down and to take Belle in her arms again. Belle was the important piece right now, she could get her revenge on Mr. Gold later. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I know I promised I wouldn't get mad, but there is now way that what he did was okay. He hurt you, and I can't let that go."

Even though she was speaking much softer this time, even though Ruby was rocking them back and forth slightly on the bed, even though she could hear how much Ruby cared about her, Belle could still hear the anger in her voice.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Her voice was thick with tears, she spoke over a lump in her throat. "Please. I can't lose you."

The pain in Belle's voice made Ruby react without thinking, she drew her in even closer, their bodies melding together in the bed. The silence that overtook the room wasn't an uncomfortable one, both women were reveling in the way it felt to be with the other. A long period of time passed before Ruby realized that she probably needed to get back to work in the diner. Still, she didn't move, Belle was comfortable and that's what was important right now, Granny would understand. It was Belle who made the first move to sit up.

"I should go. I need to get some more work done, and so do you." With that she disentangled herself from Ruby and stood up. The lack of warmth from Ruby made the air around her feel colder than normal and she shivered. Ruby nodded slowly, not really wanting Belle to leave. She didn't have a good excuse to make her stay, and so she escorted her out the backdoor, letting her escape without having to deal with anyone in the diner. She watched from the doorway until she saw Belle go into the library. She almost followed, needing to be sure that Mr. Gold had followed Belle's orders and had left the library when she saw Belle appear in the window. Belle gave a smile and a wave, letting Ruby know that she was okay, and that Gold wasn't around anymore. Never the less, Ruby vowed to keep a close eye on the library that day, and every day after to watch out for Gold.

"What happened?"

"Is Belle all right?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Where is she?" Ruby was assaulted with questions the minute she stepped back out into the diner. Granny, Emma, Mary Margaret and others were standing around the counter, waiting for answers from her.

"Belle is okay now. She just needed someone to talk to and calm down. Please, leave her be." When she assuaged their worries most of the patrons went away, leaving her alone with her grandmother and the two roommates.

"What really happened Ruby?" She was Ruby's best friend, she knew every look on the woman's face, including her lying face. The one that she was wearing right now was most definitely her lying face.

"It was Gold. He went to the library to ask her out to dinner. He did the same thing yesterday but she said she had plans with me, and she said the same thing today. He didn't like that answer." There was no need to elaborate, everyone knew what had happened. Emma had called Mary Margaret, and brought her up to speed when she had arrived at the diner. There was no way that Emma or Granny had missed the bright red handprint on Belle's face.

"What are we going to do?" Emma spoke quietly, not wanting to draw more attention to themselves. Ruby was finding it hard to stand still, she paced back and forth behind the counter, turning when she ran into the wall or Granny.

"Do? What are we going to do? I'm going to go beat the shit out of him, that's what I'm going to do!" Rationally she knew that she wouldn't get away with it. Emma was the Sheriff, and she would have to arrest her for assault. But it didn't matter, she needed to make sure that Gold stayed away from Belle, at whatever the cost.

"No. No, I am not locking up my friend." When Emma's hands slapped on the table it startled Ruby out of her routine. "There's another way."

"What other way? He has got to stay away from her. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that he doesn't get near her again." She felt a hand on hers, and when she looked down she saw that it was Mary Margaret's. The look in her friend's eyes was on of sympathy, but also of understanding.

"We'll figure out a way. But a way that doesn't involve you getting thrown in jail." As much as she saw the reason in her friends' words, she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to be doing something.

"What about a restraining order?" The idea came from Granny, halting the conversation that the other three women were having.

"That makes sense. I'm sure I have a form for that somewhere, and there are definitely grounds for a restraining order. I can get the paperwork started right away." The thought that she might be able to do something to truly help someone excited Emma. Not only was she going to be helping Belle, but she'd be helping Ruby as well.

"Hang on, doesn't the Mayor need to sign off on it as well?" The smile that had been on Ruby's face vanished as Mary Margaret spoke. There was no way that Regina Mills would do anything for her, let alone Belle, a woman that she didn't even know.

"Don't worry about that. I'll get her to sign it." The table was suddenly very interesting to Emma when Mary Margaret asked how on earth she could possibly know that she could get the mayor to sign the paper. "Just don't worry about it. I've got it covered."

Mary Margaret followed when Emma left, trying to get her to explain how exactly she would get the Mayor to sign the restraining order. Granny stepped forward and put her hands on her granddaughter's shoulders.

"It will be okay. Emma will figure out the paperwork, and you will figure out how to help Belle. Everything will work out."

"How could he do that to her? How could he hurt her?" For the first time since everything had happened, tears struck at Ruby's eyes, threatening to fall. Granny embraced her, doing her best to console her granddaughter.

"It'll be okay." Ruby pulled away, restless.

"I'm going for a walk, Granny. I'll be back later." She was gone before Granny had a chance to answer her. She returned her attention to the customers in the diner who had stayed away to give the women some privacy. She hoped that Ruby wasn't going to act on her impulses, she hoped in vain that Ruby would stay away from Gold.

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**Just a reminder that this is also posted at redbeautyfic if you prefer to read it there.**

**Please let me know what you think.**

**Sya**


	11. Forest and Reading

"I don't know what the hell you were thinking, but you are not going to go near her again." The words spat out of Ruby as soon as the door to Mr. Gold's shop opened. Gold was standing behind one of the counters, tinkering with an old clock. He had been expecting a visit from the wild girl.

"You are a sleaze to begin with, but what you did was so far over the line!" She didn't stop walking until she was standing in front of him across the counter. Something inside of her answered her call, she could feel a power rushing through her along with her anger, something she'd rarely ever felt before. Her body needed to be moving, it needed to be fighting, and it needed to protect her family. Her arm flung out, sweeping everything that was in between her and Gold out of the way. The clock clattered to the floor, but no one was paying attention to it.

"Ruby, I –" The beast within her growled.

"You nothing. You are nothing. Belle is an innocent woman. She is not _your_ woman. What you did was completely incomprehensible. She is free to do whatever she pleases, and you will not stand in her way anymore." She slammed her hands down on the counter, the force of her movements surprising both of them, Gold took a step back. His back hit the trinkets that littered the walls of his shop, impeding him from going back any further. The look on Ruby's face scared him slightly, something he wasn't used it. It was like she wasn't there anymore, something else had taken her place, something that wouldn't care if it hurt him.

"I didn't mean to." His answer caused Ruby to let out a mirthless laugh.

"Of course you didn't." Her snide remark was accompanied by a smirk. "You didn't mean to do anything."

"You are going to stay away from Belle." Ruby looked ready to pounce on the counter to get at him. There was a glint in her eyes that normally wasn't present. "You will stay away or you will be getting another visit from me."

She didn't let him open his mouth before she reached to her left and grabbed a random item. It turned out to be a heavy lamp. _Perfect_, she thought to herself as she slammed it down on the counter. With the added force of the power running through her the glass countertop shatter on impact. "Next time I won't miss."

As Ruby left the cluttered shop she could still feel the unknown power coursing through her, it made her restless. She knew that she wasn't ready to go back to the diner, she would be useless if she did. She also couldn't go visit Belle, she knew she'd be no good at lying to her and so she would get in trouble for her visit to Gold. Instead, she took the only option left that she could see – a walk in the woods.

A short ways from the center of town was the tree line. As a child she'd spent hours running around in between all of the trees, with Granny running behind her trying to keep up. When she'd started to grow up, she realized that no one else felt the same pull of the forest that she did. Other kids started to make fun of her for the fact that she ran to the forest every day after school, for the fact that Granny would meet her there with a picnic so that they could stay for hours. Eventually, she stopped visiting as much, but she'd always felt its pull. About once a month she found herself wandering through the trees at night, unable to sleep.

This felt the same, as though she needed to feel the grass and roots under her feet and the sway of the breeze through her hair. She needed to know that she was connected to the earth, and only running in the forest could give her that feeling. This time, she didn't feel the need to run, simply to be there; to seek solace in the browns and greens of nature.

The trees were familiar, marked with scars that Ruby could identify on sight, she never got lost in her forest. She walked for about twenty minutes straight into the woods, trying to put as much distance as she could in between her and that wretch of a man. His words kept repeating in her head like a mantra 'I didn't mean to'. Like it was possible to slap someone if that wasn't your intention. Every time that she thought about what he had done she felt a push of the power, like her body was trying to take control and hurt him.

It scared her, the way that she felt as though she had some sort of animal inside of her, something that was trying to get out. She knew rationally that she couldn't hurt him, but whatever was inside of her didn't care. It knew that it could hurt him bad. The only thing that calmed her was the thought of Belle. She imagined what the other woman was doing at that moment.

Maybe she was standing on her tip toes, stretching to reach a shelf above her head, too stubborn to go and get a stool to stand on. Perhaps she had gotten distracted by one of her books, and had slid to the floor, curling her feet under her skirt as she leaned against the shelves to read. It was entirely possible that she had decided to find peace outside of books, and in the land of dreams. In that case she'd be curled up on the couch in her office, maybe she'd pulled the throw that lived there off the back of the couch. Otherwise she'd surely be cold. Maybe Ruby ought to check on her, it wouldn't be good for her to be cold.

Ruby pulled herself out of her daydreams, realizing that she'd walked further into the woods than she'd meant to. She brushed her hand along the trunks of the trees as she passed them, holding her pair of bright red heels in her other hand. There was no feeling like the springy grass under her feet, or the rough bark under her fingertips, except the feeling of Belle under her fingers or curled up into her.

She probably imagined it, but tonight the library looked sad to Ruby. The lights were off by the time that she finished closing the diner and headed over to sit with Belle. She wasn't even sure if their plans were still on, but she was betting on the fact that Belle probably hadn't eaten all day.

"Belle?" Though she could see the light coming from underneath the door of the office, she didn't want to startle the other woman by accidentally sneaking up on here.

"I'm in the office!" As soon as she heard Belle's voice, and the fact that it was nearly cheerful, Ruby started walking faster.

"I brought dinner, just like I promised." When she opened the door to the office, Belle was waiting directly on the other side. "Eager for the food or the company?"

"Both. I missed you, and I missed lunch." The women smiled at each other, and Ruby could tell that Belle was doing better than she had been earlier in the day.

"Well then I'm glad I came prepared. What did you want to do tonight?" Belle opened her mouth to answer, but Ruby spoke before the words left her mouth. "Besides eat."

"Oh, well I was thinking that I could read another book to you. I picked out a few that I think you will like." She got a nod as a response, and Ruby moved forward to set the bag of food on the table, but Belle's hand on her wrist stopped her in her tracks. "Actually, I was thinking that it might make more sense to read upstairs. I put all the books up there already."

Ruby gulped, and nodded. Around the back of the office were the stairs to the caretaker's apartment. As they climbed, Ruby tried to imagine what the inside of Belle's apartment would look like. They'd been careful to set unspoken boundaries on their relationship, and one of those was that whenever they hung out it was in a semi-public place. Either the library or the diner, and the Rabbit Hole of course. But that rule had been broken already once that day, and it seemed like Belle was eager to break it again.

"It looks like you." There were piles of books in every room, and open books spread out on the tables. No dishes were sitting out on the counter, everything was put away in its spot. Except for the books of course.

"Is that a good thing?" Suddenly Belle was shy, before they'd actually reached the apartment she'd been sure that this was a good idea. Now that Ruby was standing there, able to see everything, she wasn't so sure.

"Yes, it's a good thing." The way that Ruby smiled at her wiped away all of her worries.

"I don't have a couch up here yet, so the only good place is the bedroom." She led the way, opening one of three closed doors in the hallway to reveal a room that was almost more overrun with books than the library was.

"I hope these aren't the 'few' books that you picked out for me." Ruby joked as she gestured to the piles of books that lined the walls.

"Oh, no, of course not. These are the ones that I thought you would like." There was a smaller pile of books sitting right next to the bed, but 'smaller' was relative to the other piles. This one was almost fifteen books high, it reached the height of the bed.

"That's a few?" For a split second Belle was worried that she'd done something wrong by the tone of Ruby's voice, but when she looked at the other woman she could see the smile that was dancing at her lips.

"Oh hush up and get comfortable. Which one do you want to start with?" After a few minutes of squabbling over the books the two women laid down on the bed side by side. Belle started off slowly, and within minutes of her opening the book both women were lost in a new land. Over the hours that it took to read the book they changed positions many times. For a while Ruby curled into Belle, her stomach resting on the other woman's stomach, feeling the vibrations as she spoke. Later Belle was lying her head on Ruby's shoulder, her knees propped up on her legs.

"Thank you for being here tonight, and earlier. I really needed you." This time when Belle spoke it was in her normal voice, startling Ruby out of the trance she was in listening to the story.

"I'm always here for you." She whispered quietly back. Belle went back to reading. She felt Ruby's fingers running through her hair, scratching lightly at her scalp and she had to bite back a moan. She forced herself to continue to read. After that every time that they switched positions Ruby made sure that she was stroking Belle in some way. Whether it was slowly up and down her arm, or gently rubbing circles on her back, she wanted to let Belle know that she was always there and that she wasn't leaving.

This time varied from the last in one major way: Ruby fell asleep. The energy that had been inside her had faded, leaving her more tired than she usually would be. The soothing sound of Belle's voice rocked her off to sleep after a few hours. It took Belle almost a full three chapters to notice that her companion was no longer with her. The logical part of her brain told her that she should wake Ruby up and send her on her way, but the sleepy part told her that she was extremely comfortable.

In the end, she didn't really make a decision, she drifted off to sleep with the book resting on her stomach before she had decided if she was going to wake Ruby up or not. She rolled over, and the book slid off her stomach as she curled into Ruby, her arm stretching across the waitress's stomach. Ruby's response was to wrap her arm around her bed mate and pull her closer.

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**It plagued me, so I had to write it. Let me know what you think!**

**Sya**


	12. Wake-Up Call

**A/N: Normally I do this at the end, but I think it fits better at the beginning this time. I got some questions about my take on the curse and all in this story. My answer is this: The curse is in place, obviously. Henry brought Emma back, but she doesn't believe in the curse yet. Ruby is beginning to feel the wolf (as we've seen in the last chapter) but she doesn't know what it is. The curse will break at some point, but right now everyone is only their cursed self. I haven't figured out the Regina/Queen part quite yet. Please give me some feedback, I live off of it :] Enjoy. This chapter is dedicated to doctorwhomaniac and the anon who asked for the fight.**

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There was no chance to wake up slowly, to enjoy the way that the sun felt on exposed limbs, or what it was like to be curled up to someone warm and comfortable. Instead they were woken up suddenly, with the bedroom door slamming open and a shout coming from the doorway.

"What the hell?!" In an instant both women were awake, scrambling to untangle themselves and figure out what was going on. Ruby was the one who figured it out first, there was a strange scent in the air. Not a good one. Mr. Gold.

"What the hell are you doing here?" In a flash she was out of the bed, advancing towards the man who had invaded Belle's space. She didn't notice the bouquet of flowers in his hands or the card that he was holding. All she knew was that the man who had hurt Belle was now standing in her bedroom after being warned to stay away.

"Back off, this doesn't concern you." The rough tone to his voice indicated that he was in no mood to play. Neither was Ruby.

"You need to leave. Now!" Belle made her way around the bed, stepping cautiously to get between the two angry adults.

"I came here to apologize for what I did. But you were here… with this harlot. What were you thinking? I told you to stay away from her!" It seemed that Gold hadn't learned his lesson. The animal reared within Ruby as he took a step towards her precious Belle.

"And I told _you_ to stay away from her. What do you think that you're doing here?" Her words were ignored as Gold continued to make his way into the bedroom, closer to Belle.

"I came to tell you that I'm sorry for what I did, but what are you doing with her?" His face contorted in anger as he thought about his Belle being with Ruby.

"You don't have a say in who I spend time with. I told you that." Every step that he took closer to her, she took one backwards. She only stopped when she ran into Ruby's front. She felt her friend's arms wrap around her and a feeling of being safe overwhelmed her for a moment. It was gone as soon as Gold stepped forward again, ripping Ruby's arm away and grabbing Belle's arm. Ruby forced him to let go, and in return he latched on to her wrist.

"Don't you dare touch her!" He proceeded to twist Ruby's wrist causing her to wince. "She is mine."

"She is no one's! She is her own woman and you will not hurt her again." Ruby's voice matched her eyes, burning with passions. The animal reared its head again and she lashed out, knocking Gold's cane out of his hand. She pulled her wrist back before lashing out again, this time grabbing his arm. "You are going to stay away from her, or something bad will happen to you. Don't doubt me."

Belle followed as Ruby dragged Gold down the stairs and out on to the street.

"You have no claim to her. She is _mine._" He spoke in a loud growl, drawing the attention of everyone who was passing by. Ruby's growl matched his.

"I will tell you one last time. Belle doesn't belong to you. She doesn't belong to anyone. She is her own woman and she makes her own choices." As much as she tried to calm herself down, especially when she saw people leaving the diner to see what the commotion was, whatever was inside her was preventing that from happening. She was shaking with anger at the thought of Gold putting his hand on Belle. "Stay away from her."

He wasn't scared of Ruby, he had control of the town. Ruby matched him step for step as he walked forward. Before any more physical contact could be initiated Belle stepped forward.

"Stop!" Both of them turned to look at her, neither sure if she was speaking to them or the other. "Mr. Gold, I told you before, Ruby is my friend. I am not going to stay away from her because you told me to. I'm not going to do anything that you tell me to do. You hit me yesterday, and that is not acceptable. I want you to stay away from me."

"I'm here to deliver a restraining order to one Mr. Gold." He spun around to face the intruder, Emma. "You are not go within 100 yards of Isabelle French."

Mr. Gold stepped forward and ripped the paper out of Emma's hands without looking at it. "You need the mayor to sign this, dearie." He spoke with a sneer.

"Take a look at the paperwork, she did sign it." Emma's smirk was gleeful, she had him. Belle placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder, gently guiding her away from Emma and Gold.

Belle stopped them when they reached the door to the apartment, which had been left open in their haste. Her hand slipped down from Ruby's shoulder to slide around her waist. Ruby leaned into her, resting her head on Belle's shoulder. She could feel her heartbeat still racing, her breath was uneven and her skin felt tight and hot. The way that Belle felt next to her invaded her senses, her scent, her feel, Ruby could practically taste her. It calmed her down, sent the animal inside her to sleep.

"Thank you." It seemed to be Belle's mantra. Everything that Ruby did for her, listening to her reading stories, making her get out of her shell with the night out, standing up to Gold for her, it all made her feel special.

"Belle, you're strong. To stand up like that to him, and to tell him to leave you alone, twice, that takes some serious guts. You are doing great." Belle couldn't stop the tears that sprung to her eyes, she'd never been told that she was strong before. She'd always tried to be strong, but she felt that she always fell short, and here Ruby was telling her that what she did was brave. She laid her head against Ruby's chest, hiding her face from view.

"Can we leave now?" Emma and Gold were still discussing the restraining order in the middle of the street, so Ruby led Belle around them and into the diner. Mary Margaret was sitting at a table, getting up when she saw them approaching.

"I'll tell Granny to get your food."

"Not mine, I'm not hungry." Both Mary Margaret and Ruby paused, looking at her. "I'm really not. Just a tea please." When she moved to sit down Ruby mouthed to her friend to order Belle's breakfast anyway.

"Belle, I'm so sorry that happened." When Ruby sat down in the booth next to her Belle automatically scooted closer, sneaking her arm underneath Ruby's and laying her head down on her shoulder. Ruby tucked a piece of hair behind Belle's ear so that she could see her face. "You don't deserve that."

"He seems to think that I'm his. That I'll never be anything more than that. A possession." The confession caused the tears that had been pushing at Belle's eyes to finally fall.

"You're not. Not even close. You are a strong and independent woman. There's a restraining order in place now, he can't come near you. And if he does, I'll protect you, I promise."

"How did that happen? The restraining order."

"Emma did it." Belle looked up when she heard Mary Margaret's voice. She'd returned to the table after ordering the meals. She reached out, grabbing Belle's free hand. "We heard about what happened and rather than let Ruby run off after Gold we figured that it would be best."

"Thank you." There was a light smile on her face, the first since they'd been rudely awoken that morning. "But it seems that you failed."

"No, no we didn't fail. Emma got Regina to sign the restraining order somehow. I'm not really sure how… but she did." Confusion was written all over not just Mary Margaret's face, but Ruby's as well.

"Oh yes that succeeded, thank you so much for that. And Emma and Regina too. I'm not so sure that it will work, he has some sort of power here. But about Ruby I mean. Keeping her away from Gold." Ruby had the decency to look sheepish. She dropped her hand from Belle's and fiddled with her fingers in her lap.

"How did you know?"

"You told him earlier that you'd already told him to stay away from me." Ruby wouldn't look up from her lap.

"What did you do?" Somehow Mary Margaret had learned the talent of sounding scarier when you were mad and calm at the same town. Ruby cringed before she answered.

"I'm sorry, I know you didn't want me to go. But I had to. I just couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt again." A finger reached out and lifted her chin, forcing her to look into Belle's eyes. She froze for a moment, unsure of what she was going to see in her eyes. Instead of the anger that she was expecting, all she saw was caring.

"I should've known you'd go after him. The thing is that I don't want you to get hurt either." With all the staring and sentimental statements being passed back and forth, Mary Margaret was starting to feel a little out of place.

"I'm going to go check on the food." The commotion outside had died down, and Emma came back into the diner huffing.

"How'd it all go?" Asked the shorter woman.

"Not well. He's not happy about the fact that Regina and I worked together to accomplish something, let alone the fact that by law he can't go near his precious Belle." She rubbed a hand across her face, trying to get the fight with Gold out of her head.

"You still haven't explained exactly how you got Regina to sign that." Emma slowly raised her eyes, looking at how serious her roommate was.

"Oh… uh- I, it wasn't that hard. I mean…" She was saved from having to stumble over her words while trying not to blush by Granny coming out of the kitchen with the food for the table.

"Oh, Emma. I'll have your doughnuts right out." Said the other woman as she passed by, dropping the food off.

"Thanks Granny." The older woman nodded and wandered off, knowing that the women needed some time alone.

"He'll leave you alone for now Belle. I can't promise that he won't try to fight it, but you have all of us, and Regina standing with you." The two women sitting at the table finally looked away from each other as they were joined by Emma and Mary Margaret.

"Thank you for everything that you've done Emma. And you too Mary Margaret. And of course you Ruby." She squeezed Ruby's hand under the table, and didn't let go.

"We'll get the locks changed on your apartment and the library, that way he can't get in." Emma was caught up in being the gallant hero, most of the time being Sheriff in Storybrooke meant chasing down dogs and drunk Leroy.

"How exactly did you get Regina to sign the restraining order, I wasn't sure she even knew who I was, let alone cared what happens to me." The blush that spread over Emma's cheeks was a small one and no one but Ruby really noticed it.

"I think that Granny has my doughnut ready, I'm gonna go get that." She tried to slide out of the booth, but was restrained by Mary Margaret's hand on her arm.

"No way, you've been dodging the question for too long. What exactly did you do?"

"I just uh… asked very politely?" The answer didn't really satisfy anyone but Belle, who was more focused on the way that Ruby's thumb was rubbing back and forth over the back of her hand. But luckily for Emma, Granny arrived with her doughnut, which she proceeded to stuff in her face. Ruby kicked Emma under the table, giving her a look that said she'd have to explain herself further when the other woman looked up.

"Thank you all, seriously. And thank Regina too for me, Emma. It feels nice to know that I have friends." The way that she said it reminded everyone at the table that Belle was a lonely person, one who had just cast aside one of her only friends in order to maintain her friendship and independence. It struck them just how strong she was to throw that all away, some people couldn't walk away even if they were hurt by someone. One by one they all vowed to be there for her, no matter what.


	13. Picnic

"Take the day off." Granny was standing just inside the door of the kitchen, surprising Ruby and almost causing her to drop the plates she was carrying.

"What?" She was sure that she'd heard wrong, Granny always wanted her to be working, something about learning responsibility.

"Take the day off. Go be with Belle. It's been a stressful couple of days for her and today only just started. You could use the break too." Unwilling to wait around for her Grandmother to change her mind, Ruby hastily placed the dishes on the counter and ran out of the diner.

"Belle!" The woman looked up from her pile of books, surprised. When she saw how fast Ruby was moving became worried.

"What's wrong?" The waitress came to a halt right in front of her.

"Oh, my Granny's going crazy, but that's a good thing."

"Why exactly is that a good thing?" Belle dropped the book in her hand when Ruby reached out and grabbed her hand. It clattered on the table.

"Because she gave me the day off. That means you have to skip work too, we'll do something together." Suddenly images of the past few days sprung to mind: they'd spent every night together, and lunch times, and they slept in the same bed last night. That's a lot of time to spend with one person, it was possible that Belle might want a bit of a break. "If you want to that is."

Belle could hear the hesitancy that worked its way into Ruby's voice and rushed to sooth it. "Of course I do. I just have to get some work done today, because yesterday's didn't exactly go as planned."

"Okayy…" She drew out the words, unwilling to let it go so easily.

"How about this? We'll do a long lunch." The sparkle returned to Ruby's eyes.

"Great! I'll grab lunch from Granny's and swing by around noon?"

"Actually, I have a better idea. You let me take care of lunch, you just show up here at noon, okay?"

"Okay, I will leave it in your worthy hands." With a spin, Ruby sauntered out of the library. She was sure that she felt Belle's eyes on her, so she added a little sashay to her step. She wasn't wrong.

The next stop on her list was Mary Margaret's apartment. She knew her best friend's schedule, on Sundays she liked to sleep in and make a nice homemade breakfast for her and Emma. Then she would lounge around the house for a while. Ruby planned on interrupting some of that lounging time since she needed to catch up with her friend.

The two women sat together on the couch for the remainder of the morning discussing various topics. Ruby did her best to draw Mary Margaret away from how Emma got Regina to sign the papers, trying to respect her friend's need for privacy with such things. Mary Margaret did her best to get Ruby to gush about her feelings for Belle – her task turned out to be very easy. Now that Gold was semi-out of the way, Ruby felt a bit better about what was blossoming between her and the librarian.

Before they knew it the morning had been wasted away and it was time for Ruby to meet Belle.

"Good luck. Try not to do anything dumb okay?" Ruby just stuck her tongue out and left.

Belle was waiting for her outside of the library. There was a basket hanging over her arm.

"What could you possibly have planned for us?" She asked in mock-wonder as she approached the library.

"Oh, hush up. A picnic in the woods will be fun. You get to carry the blanket though." Ruby had failed to notice the giant folded blanket sitting at Belle's feet. With a sigh she reached over and picked it up.

"Do you even know where you're going?" A light smirk crossed her face as Belle blushed.

"Well, I know the general direction of the woods. Beyond that, I hand it over to you. I'm sure you have extensive knowledge of these woods." Ruby just nodded along.

"How can I fault your well thought out plan?" She teased lightly. Belle bumped her hip with her own, causing her to stumble slightly. "Hey!"

The rest of the walk to the forest was a quiet one, but not an uncomfortable silence. When they reached the edge Belle stepped back to let Ruby take the lead. As she walked through the beginning trees Ruby wasn't sure where she wanted to take Belle. She finally decided on a little clearing that she knew had a stump in the middle, it would be perfect for holding the food. She loved the way that Belle took in her surroundings, obviously trying not only to memorize where they were, but also trying to remember things to look up later.

"I love it out here." Ruby kept her voice muted, the forest seemed to call for it.

"Me too. There's just a feeling about it, like adventure and serenity at the same time." As soon as they entered the clearing Belle knew that this was where Ruby was taking her. "It's beautiful here."

"I'm glad you like it. However, I am starving so…" Her friend chuckled, moving to unload the basket while Ruby set up the blanket.

"How are you feeling?" After they'd had a few moments to get adjusted, and for Ruby to start scarfing down food, she decided that she and Belle ought to talk frankly for a little.

"I'm doing better now. Honestly, I thought he was a good man. I still think he could be, he just doesn't want to try." She looked straight at Ruby as she spoke, unable to look away from her piercing eyes. "I don't believe that anyone is truly evil, there is always good in them."

About to retort with a comment about Regina, Ruby did a double-take. It seemed that there was something going on between Emma and the Mayor, and if that was true, then Emma must have found something good in her.

"I guess…" She wasn't willing to completely concede, but she was definitely thinking about it.

"I'm really happy that you've been here for me. I don't know what I would have done without you." Ruby's attention was caught again. "I feel different when I'm with you. I feel cared for and – and safe." She chickened out at the last second. She couldn't find the words to explain to Ruby just how she felt about her.

"Belle, I'm always here for you. You are special to me, and I'm so happy that we get to spend time together." She realized that what she was saying didn't exactly sound like friendship so she hurried to change the subject. "So what did you think of our night out on the town?"

"Oh it was very interesting. I enjoyed myself immensely. What about you?" Images of their kiss lingered in her mind, as well as the times that they'd held hands under the table, or curled up next to each other.

"I had more fun than I usually do. I don't generally get to dance with such wonderful partners." Belle blushed, recalling the moves that she'd tried.

"Perhaps we should do it again sometime." _Where did that come from?_ She could hear the teasing sounds to her own voice.

"I'd love to. Why not go tonight?" Ruby could see the refusal on the tip of Belle's tongue. She picked a grape from the bunch and pushed it into Belle's mouth, effectively stopping her from responding. "If you sit around home all night all you're going to do is worry about Gold, and that doesn't sound fun."

"So you promise to distract me, by whatever means necessary?" She gulped at the flirtatiousness in Belle's voice.

"I'm sure I can come up with a few ways to keep your mind off things." Two could play at that game. Belle chuckled and lay back on the blanket, admiring the way the leaves and branches of the trees reached for the sky. Ruby leaned back to join her, and changed her mind half-way down, shifting to rest her head on Belle's stomach. She loved the way that Belle's fingers automatically went to playing with her hair.

The incessant pounding forced Mary Margaret to get off the couch and answer the door. Most people she knew would simply knock once or twice and then come in, but not whoever this was.

"Em – oh, Mary Margaret. Hi." Belle looked flustered at finding the wrong person on the other side of the door.

"Belle, hi. What can I help you with?" The two of them didn't really spend any time together alone, but if Belle needed her, she would be there to talk.

"Oh uh – is Emma here?"

"No, I think she's down at the office. Are you sure I can't help you?" She noticed that Belle looked more and more flustered.

"Oh, no. I'm fine. I'm just going to head down to the Sheriff's office to find Emma." She was gone before Mary Margaret had the chance to say goodbye. Sighing, she shut the door, hoping that nothing was wrong with the other woman.

"Emma?" A responding grunt led Belle to the main room of the Sheriff's department, somewhere she hadn't been before. Emma was sitting at what was presumably her desk, with her feet propped up on the desk, eating from a take-out box from Granny's.

"Belle? What are you doing here?" She swung her feet off the table and set aside her food, focusing on the nervous woman in front of her.

"I - I have a problem." After a gesture from Emma she took a seat next to the desk.

"Is it Gold? Did he violate the restraining order already? 'Cause I've been itching to throw him in jail." Belle shook her head, but she wouldn't look at Emma.

"No – no it's not him. It's me." She kept her eyes moving, examining every inch of the office that she could see except for Emma.

"What's wrong?" Belle looked as though she might get up and run at any moment, so Emma kept her voice as low as possible.

"It's about Ruby." She answered quietly. Emma leaned back in her chair, a smirk on her face.

"Oh that kind of a problem." She got a small nod in response. "Have you told her how you feel about her?"

"I tried to. I almost did at lunch today, but I just couldn't. I don't have the courage for that. What if she doesn't feel the same way about me? I don't think I could handle losing both Mr. Gold and Ruby, ohh I'm rambling." Emma laughed as Belle spoke, she knew that Belle probably hadn't had much experience with dating at all.

"Rambling is totally fine. I don't think that you have a problem with being forward though. When I was with R – when I was at the Rabbit Hole last night I heard plenty of people talking about a little dance that you did with our favorite waitress."

"That's different. All I had to do was pretend to be that other woman, and copy what she did. I wasn't being me." She dropped her head into her hands. "I don't even know how she feels about me."

"Has she done anything to suggest that she might?" Emma knew full well how Ruby felt about the woman sitting in front of her, but it wouldn't do any good to tell that to Belle, she wouldn't believe her.

"Well… we kissed. And she didn't pull away."

"You kissed?!" The words almost threw Emma out of her chair. "Well, that's certainly supports our argument."

"But I can't even talk to her about it. And we have plans to go out again tonight and I don't know if it's a date or what. I just wish I could get up the courage to talk to her." Belle dropped her face into her hands.

"I have an idea." Her head shot up.

"What is it?"

"Well you said you were better at being straightforward and dancing when you were pretending to be someone else. So, why don't you be someone else?"

"Just be someone else?" She leaned in closer, tempted by what Emma was saying.

"Exactly. Just pick a name like Sophia or Taylor or – "

"Lacey."

"Lacey, and go with it. Pick a personality, and be that person for the night. Act like Lacey would, and use that to help you tell Ruby how you feel."

"So all I have to do is be Lacey tonight?" It wouldn't be that easy, but she was sure that she could hold character, she did fine with the dancing didn't she?

"Yes, just make sure she's someone who is outspoken, and outgoing, someone who is maybe even a little wild. Maybe a little racy."

"Tonight I'm racy Lacey."

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**I hope you like where I'm going with this...**

**Please review!**

**Sya**


	14. Racy Lacey

As the night drew closer, Belle got more and more distraught. She'd been thinking all afternoon, trying to come up with a personality for Lacey, and thinking over her wardrobe she realized that she had absolutely nothing to wear. In a panic she called Emma.

"What is it?" The voice on the other end of the phone was gruff.

"Emma?"

"Yes it's me, I'm just eating. What's up?" Belle rolled her eyes, of course she was eating.

"I don't have anything to wear as Lacey!" The panic in her voice was not subtle.

"What about the other outfit that we bought when we got your dress? That should work perfectly for racy Lacey." In a rush Belle ran up the stairs to her room, grabbing the outfit out of the bag they'd sat in since she'd purchased them. To be honest, she'd been so worried about her evening with Ruby that she didn't even remember what the clothes looked like, she'd simply trusted Emma's opinion.

"Oh, god. Emma, this doesn't look like me at all?"

"Isn't that the point?" When Emma heard the huff on the other end she knew that she had Belle. "Just wear it, I promise it will be perfect. And practice playing darts or something, it'll really throw off Ruby."

"Darts? I don't know how…"

"That's why I said practice." Emma looked up to see Mary Margaret entering the apartment. "Hey, I gotta go. Call me later if you need anything else, kay? You'll be fine."

"Okay, thanks Emma." She proceeded to get dressed in the dark blue shirt and skinny black jeans. She worked her hair the way that Emma had taught her, all the while trying to figure out what kind of a personality she would have. After a while she settled on sassy, someone with a little attitude to her. Noting that her hair didn't work at all like that, she piled it all up on top of her head in a very messy bun. She added bolder makeup than she was used to, trying on Lacey.

Across town, Emma was doing her best to get out of the room to avoid another conversation about Regina with Mary Margaret.

"I still want to know how you managed it, but I'm going to stop asking." Said the other woman as she set about preparing her dinner.

"You are?" There was an incredulous look on Emma's face. Mary Margaret usually didn't stop until she had what she wanted.

"I am. You obviously don't want to go into detail, so I've decided to drop it. Though I hope that one day you will tell me." She was surprised when Emma bounded over and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.

"Thanks. And maybe sometime I will." The two were able to sit down and have a nice evening together as roommates. Emma wasn't worried about having to lie, and Mary Margaret was sure that Emma would come to her in her own time.

Belle made sure that she tucked away the book she'd been reading a few minutes before Ruby was due to arrive. It wouldn't do any good for her character of the evening to be seen with a book before hitting a club.

The knock came at precisely 8 o'clock. Briefly Belle wondered if Ruby got there early and then waited for it to be the exact time before knocking. But the thoughts were blown out of her mind when she opened the door. Ruby stood before her in an extremely low cut, even for her, black dress that ended just below her ass. It clung to her like it was a part of her skin, Belle could see her curves perfectly. Not just the curves of her hips, but the delicious curve of her ass and the way that it hugged her chest tightly. She realized that she was staring.

"Hi." Her word drew Ruby out of a similar stare. There was something a bit different about Belle tonight, not just the way that she was dressed but a different air about her as well.

"Hi." There was a breathless quality to Ruby's voice, it sent a pang through Belle.

"Let's get going, I have a powerful need to drink tonight." She didn't wait for Ruby, she simply sauntered off in the direction of the bar. _I'm Lacey, I'm Lacey_ she repeated to herself over and over again in her head as she fought off the urge to check behind her to make sure Ruby was following. In the end it wasn't needed. Ruby, who had plenty of experiences in wearing high heels, came running after her in her ridiculously high heels.

"Belle? You seem different." When Belle looked over she saw that Ruby was genuinely worried. She decided to play a little game, she reached out and drew her fingers up and down Ruby's arm with a barely-there touch. She saw Ruby gasp.

"I'm just happy to be out here tonight, with you." She let her voice go deeper than usual, it took on a gravely quality.

"Okay. Well, let's go then." They resumed their walk. When they got to the bar it was Belle who ordered their drinks for them: lots of shots and some Jagger-bombs. Ruby was a bit surprised, she hadn't thought that Belle would possibly know about that drink.

"What do you want to do first?" She asked, unsure of this new Belle.

"Why don't we play some pool?" They each downed a shot. And another. Ruby was having a difficult time with this version of Belle. It was like Belle was still in there, but she was slightly different. It was a good different though.

"You know how to play pool?" Her remark was teasing. Ruby gulped as Belle leaned in close. She could feel the other woman's hot breath on her neck before she flicked out her tongue to trace the outline of her ear.

"I think you'll find that I have many skills." And with that Belle's presence was gone. When Ruby opened her eyes she saw that her friend was across the bar, convincing the boys that were playing pool to let her have a go. She swallowed hard and got up to follow.

It turned out that somehow Belle had learned to play pool very well. She made sure not to mention the book that she had been reading beforehand. Everything was going according to plan. Ruby was staring down her shirt every time she leaned over the table to take aim, and from that and her reaction to Belle's little advance earlier, she was sure that Ruby was at least attracted to her.

"My turn." As Ruby lined up her shot, which involved leaning over the table slightly, Belle took the time to appreciate the way that her dress rode up slightly, clinging to her ass. She smiled to herself as she made her way to the bar for another sip of her drink. She knew she had time, Ruby took forever to get her shots just right. And even then Belle was kicking her ass. The redheaded bartender caught her eye and nodded to something behind her.

When she turned around she saw Mr. Gold.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He walked closer to her, but Belle wouldn't let herself back away, she was Lacey tonight.

"This isn't you Belle, whatever Ruby is doing to you, this isn't you. Come back to me." She stood up, stepping towards him. Gold could sense that something was different about her, and it was enough to make him take a step back.

"I am who I want to be. This is who I want to be. Now you better leave before Ruby sees you. You'll get hell if she does." The sassiness with which she spoke unnerved him. "I'm giving you once chance, if you stick around I'll get Emma to get down here and throw your ass in jail. Leave me alone, Gold."

The fact that she called him by only his last name, as well as her attitude had an effect on him. He almost thought that he ought to stick around a little to see what he could do about the situation. But the way that Belle was acting tonight meant that she would follow up on her threat, and he didn't feel like spending the night in jail. Instead, he cast another longing glance at Belle, who was making her way back to Ruby, and left the bar.

"Was that –" Ruby looked up at the return of her partner and caught a flash of Gold as he left.

"Don't worry about it, babe, I sent him away." The pet name just sort of slipped out and Belle decided that she liked the way it sounded rolling off her tongue, and what it did to Ruby. She could see the tension in the other woman, the way she gulped and couldn't take her eyes off of her lips.

"If you say so." Ruby pulled herself out of it. She couldn't handle being so close to Belle and not touching her anymore. "Look, you obviously win. I give up, why don't we dance?" In two seconds the two were on the dance floor, finding a circle of space just for them.

Belle had been paying attention to the dancers all night, when she wasn't staring at Ruby's assets that was. She'd picked up a few more moves. She made sure to stay with the beat, swaying her body with Ruby's. She wrapped her arm around Ruby's waist, pulling her in as close as she could. Belle ran her fingers up and down Ruby's arms, loving the reactions she got from her dancing partner. When Ruby made to pull away slightly, Belle wouldn't let her. She snaked one arm up to her neck, playing with the lovely dark curls she found there. The other hand she let slide down, running her hand from Ruby's thigh to her hip, and back down again.

When she had Ruby suitably distracted, she spun around grinding her ass into Ruby's pelvis. The way that Ruby's hands automatically went to her hips, encouraging her, told her that she was doing something right. She stood up straight, putting her arm back around Ruby's neck. Ruby obeyed when she put pressure on the back of her neck, her head coming down closer to Belle's height. Belle turned her head, taking advantage of the fact that she had open access to Ruby's neck. As she pressed her body against Ruby she simultaneously stuck her tongue out and licked up the side of her neck. She could feel the vibrations of Ruby's moan under her lips. She added a light nip followed by a kiss to the spot she'd just licked before pulling away entirely.

When Ruby reached out to pull her in again, she allowed it. As soon as she was close enough she leaned in herself, positioning her mouth by Ruby's ear once more. She whispered hotly, "Let's get out of here."

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**Please review**

**Sya**


	15. Outside the club

They stumbled out of the club together, clinging to each other. Ruby had her arm around Belle's waist, pulling her close, and Belle was leaning as far into her as possible. They were giggling like school children, but they certainly weren't acting like it. At every opportunity Belle would tip her head and lick another part of Ruby's exposed skin, loving the shiver that came from the other woman when she did. Ruby on the other hand, couldn't keep her hands from wandering, gently rubbing the exposed skin on Belle's hip.

When they passed the entrance to the alley of the club they also passed Regina and Emma, who were much too close to be doing their usual bickering. Neither of them noticed however, as they were primarily thinking about each other, and secondarily focusing on not tripping.

Once they reached the door to Belle's apartment, they didn't make it much further. As soon as the door shut, Belle found herself pressed up against it. She groaned at the way Ruby held her against the door with her body, she loved the way she could feel every part of her due to the ridiculously tight dress. Ruby wasted no time, she nipped at Belle's neck the way Belle had nipped hers in the club.

She could feel Belle moving, trying to get closer to her as she tilted her head to the side and gave her more room to work. _I should be Lacey more often._ Belle slid her arms up Ruby's back until they rest in her hair. She pulled lightly, causing Ruby to pull back slightly. They looked each other dead in the eyes for a full second, needing to see into the other. Whatever she saw spurned Belle on, and she decided she'd had enough of the games. She used the hand that was on the back of Ruby's neck to send Ruby closer, and she closed the distance. Belle couldn't feel anything but the way Ruby's lips slid over hers, she didn't notice that Ruby's hands had settled on her waist stroking the skin of her hips. All she could feel was the way that Ruby's tongue felt when it dragged across her lower lip.

She immediately opened her mouth, granting the taller woman's tongue entrance. There was no battle of tongues, just the way that it felt having Ruby's tongue stroking her own. When Ruby moaned this time Belle swallowed it, and Ruby flicked her tongue up to the back of Belle's teeth and the roof of her mouth.

As she became more comfortable with kissing Ruby, Belle also became more adventurous. She used her hands to explore the body that she'd been staring at all evening. She traced patterns up and down Ruby's back for a few moments before Ruby moaned again at something she'd done with her tongue, and she gained more courage. This time she slid her hands down and cupped her ass, causing Ruby to push further into her, trying to deepen the kiss even further.

Ruby, spurred on by Belle's actions, slid her hands fully underneath Belle's blue shirt, caressing the skin she found. She went slowly, teasing Belle as she pushed her body closer to hers, trailing her fingers across the sensitive skin of her stomach. Belle broke away from the kiss, turning her head instead to press kisses all along Ruby's jaw, before proceeded to lick and nip at her neck. She found that right under Ruby's ear was one of the most sensitive places, all it took was a little lick for Ruby to shiver in her arms. Ruby wasn't one to be left behind, she let her hands explore further and further up Belle's torso, listening to Belle's pants as she tried to focus on Ruby's ear.

"God, you're amazing." The words barely made it out of Ruby's mouth before Belle's lips were crashing on hers again. Ruby's hands were still traveling up Belle's torso and all of the sudden she discovered that her date hadn't worn a bra that evening. _Of course not, there's not really a back on this shirt, I would have seen her bra if she'd been wearing one. _How she managed to have coherent thoughts with what Belle was doing with her ass, Ruby didn't know. She certainly heard the sounds that were coming from Belle as she massaged her breasts though.

The more Ruby played with her breasts the more aroused Belle became, if that was even possible. She gave up all sorts of pretenses, all she wanted was more of Ruby, more of her hands, more of her lips, god, just more of all of her. She slid her hands away from Ruby's delicious ass, going to the top of the dress instead and started to unzip it.

"Wait." Of the two of them, Belle had suspected that if anyone was going to want to take it slow, it would have been her. Instead, she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in Ruby, and Ruby was standing there telling her to wait while she could still feel the weight of her hands on her boobs. She could feel her chest heaving from the lack of oxygen as she looked up at Ruby in confusion. "We should take this somewhere more comfortable."

Belle didn't waste a second, she pushed forward, not removing her hands from Ruby's body, trying to get up the stairs as fast as possible.

When they heard the pounding at the door they both froze. Ruby was on the second step, with her hands still in Belle's shirt, while Belle was leaning forward to press kisses to Ruby's exposed chest. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do. The pounding didn't stop. Finally, Belle extracted herself from Ruby and went to open the door.

"Belle – Is Ruby here?" Panted Mary Margaret. She looked as though she'd run all the way there.

"Yeah, I'm here." Stated Ruby as she came down from the stairs to stand next to Belle.

"Emma needs you to watch the station." Mary Margaret doubled over, resting her hands on her thighs as she tried to catch her breath. She vowed to work out more often.

"Why? What's going on?" If Mary Margaret had looked up, studied the bodies in front of her she would have seen two heaving chests, two red faces, and two outfits in complete disarray.

"Emma got hurt and she needs someone to watch the station for the night." That sprung the two women into action.

"Yes, of course, I'll head over there right now, I just have to run home and change and grab the key to the station." Without thinking, Ruby leaned over and pressed a goodbye kiss to Belle's lips. Forgetting they had an audience, Belle did what felt natural and kissed right back.

"I need to get back to my apartment, I have Henry sleeping there. Do you think you could bring Emma some supplies at the hospital?" The smirk on Mary Margaret's face showed that she hadn't missed how intimately Ruby had said goodbye to the librarian. Similarly the look of embarrassment on Belle told her not to pry.

"Of course I will." Twenty minutes later she was on her way to the hospital with a bag of clothes and entertainment items that had been gathered in Emma's room. As she passed by the club she couldn't help but let her thoughts linger on the events of that night. While she felt bad that Emma was hurt, and she was worried about her since Mary Margaret hadn't gone into any specifics, she wished that she could have continued her evening with Ruby.

"Where is Emma Swan's room please?" A few memories of her time in the hospital leapt to mind as soon as she entered the building, but she pushed them to the back of her head focusing on her friend. She followed the directions down the hall, paying attention to the room numbers until she came across Emma's.

It seemed that she and Ruby weren't the only ones on a date that night. Both Emma and Regina were dressed in rather scandalous clothes for being the Sheriff and Mayor. Their dresses looked as though the two of them had been out at the Rabbit's Hole as well. What tied it all together, convincing Belle that the two of them were on a date was the way that Regina was clutching Emma's hand as though her life depended on it. That and the fact that Regina was bent over the bed kissing the injured woman.

The sound of the door opening caused them to separate quickly, but Belle's smirk told them that they weren't fast enough.

"Ms. French, what you just sa – " Before Regina could finish, Belle held up her hand.

"What happened to you, Emma?" The blush that was spreading over Emma's face from being caught suddenly grew deeper.

"She thought that she needed to defend my honor, and she ended up with a few good punches to her stomach and a concussion." The anger in Regina's voice was palpable. And it obviously had an effect on Emma who looked like a child being chastised by her mother.

"I'm sorry, I – " Her words choked off when Regina squeezed her hand tighter.

"I know. You are an idiot, Ms. Swan." That caused Emma to laugh lightly.

"I'm pretty sure Belle knows what's going on, formalities in front of her aren't required anymore." Regina simply stood tight-lipped trying to assess the situation.

"Ms. French – "

"It's Belle. Just Belle." That earned her a huff from the dignified Mayor.

"Fine, Belle then. What you saw, we would appreciate it if you would keep that to yourself."

"No problem, of course I will. I brought you some things from your apartment, Mary Margaret thought they might help you be more comfortable here." Belle placed the bag in Regina's hands as she spoke. "Ruby's manning the station, and Mary Margaret says Henry is asleep at her place. There's nothing for you to worry about except getting better."

"Did I interrupt your…?" Regina's hands stilled in the bag, she listened intently to the conversation, unsure of what was going on.

"Yes, but it's alright."

"Was it good?"

"The best." The smile that broke out over Belle's face as she thought about her date with Ruby told Emma everything she needed to know. Well, that and the way that Belle's shirt was bunched oddly.

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**Sorry this didn't get updated yesterday, I had a bad day. **

**Hope you like it! Please review.**

**Sya**


	16. Sheriff's Station

**This chapter is dedicated to biggiewoods.**

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For the next few days Regina didn't let Emma out of bed. This was complicated by the fact that Mary Margaret wouldn't let Emma out of her apartment. The two women didn't get along, each of them thinking that they ought to have control over Emma's healing process. Mary Margaret couldn't comprehend why the Mayor was taking such an interest in the blonde, she usually didn't care for anyone in the town.

As it was, due to the fact that Emma was still laid up in bed, with both Regina and Mary Margaret waiting on her, Ruby was stuck taking care of the Sheriff's office. Because she was now needed to manage the goings on at the office as well as helping open and close the diner Ruby found herself exhausted at the end of every day. So much so that she'd barely had a chance to speak to Belle since the night of Emma's fight.

"I brought you lunch." The voice was heaven to Ruby's ears. She pulled her feet off the desk and tried to make it look as though she was working hard when Belle came through the doors. "Don't bother faking, Emma's complained enough about how boring the job can be."

Ruby let out a small chuckle at the truth of the statement as she reached out to grab the take-out bag from Belle's hands. Before her fingers could close on the bag containing some of the most delicious smells, it was possible she'd forgotten to grab breakfast, it was snatched away.

"Uh-uh. This comes at a price." Smirked Belle as she held the bag behind her, out of Ruby's reach.

"Oh? And just what is this price?" The flirtatiousness in Belle's voice wasn't lost on the other woman. She decided that two could play that game. Belle knew that she was in trouble just by the way that Ruby stood. Instead of simply standing, Ruby seemed to slide out of the chair with a languidness usually seen in predatory animals.

"Whatever this is worth to you." She did her best to hold her voice steady as Ruby moved closer. She refused to back up, and was rewarded when she felt the other body press up against hers. She could feel the way that Ruby's eyes stuck on her, she was caught in the way that Ruby flicked her tongue across her lips, wetting them. Belle forced herself to stand still, holding the bag of food as far behind her as possible.

She could almost feel her resolve breaking as Ruby lowered her face closer and closer. But she stood her ground, waiting to see what Ruby would do. Almost before she realized it Ruby's lips were mere millimeters from hers, she could feel the hot breath on her lips, tantalizing her. She closed her eyes, expecting a kiss that was long awaited. Instead, she felt a slight movement in front of her and all of the sudden the bag was ripped out of her hands.

She squeaked in indignation as she opened her eyes. Ruby was standing in front of her with a gleeful look on her face as she pulled a fry out of her prize. Belle stopped herself from uttering her complaints, she knew by now how to work Ruby. Telling her what she'd done wasn't fair wasn't going to do the trick, instead she knew just what to do.

The triumphant smile was wiped off Ruby's face as she watched the acknowledgement register in Belle's eyes. She watched as Belle lowered her eyes to the ground, knowing that Belle felt the rejection more than Ruby had intended.

"Well, now I know what it was worth to you." The words crept out of Belle in a whisper, and they had the wanted effect on Ruby. As Belle turned to walk quietly out of the station, Ruby realized just how much she'd messed up their little game. Sure, they'd just been joking around, but Belle felt as though she wasn't worth anything to Ruby, not even a little kiss.

"Wait – Belle!" The woman in question slowed down, not really willing to relinquish the control she had over the waitress turned sheriff yet. "I didn't mean anything by it, I was just playing."

"Right, no I got it." The designation in the librarian's voice told Ruby that she still didn't have it right.

"No, I mean… I – fuck it." Belle hadn't noticed how close Ruby's voice had gotten before she was spun around and felt the sudden pressure of Ruby's lips against hers. She let out a small, involuntary moan as Ruby's tongue flicked across her lower lip lightly. She dropped all pretenses of being upset, choosing instead to revel in the feeling of the other woman against her. There was no way to describe how right it felt to be so close to Ruby, to feel their bodies calling to each other.

When she felt fingers snake underneath her shirt, caressing the soft skin of her stomach, Belle lost focus of how right it was to be with Ruby. All she could do was imagine the possibilities of what could happen with them. In order to encourage Ruby to continue, she let her own hands glide up and down her body.

The teasing hand on her stomach didn't let her stop there, she pushed up Ruby's loose shirt with one hand, sneaking underneath the flimsy garment. The gasp that fell from Ruby's mouth made Belle act without thinking. She used one hand to pull Ruby deeper into the kiss, and the other began to ascend to her chest. The first brush of her fingers against the cup of Ruby's bra caused her the taller woman to press herself even closer to Belle. Ruby kept one hand under Belle's shirt, tracing random lines on her stomach, and the other arm was around her waist making sure that there was as little space between them as possible.

When Belle slipped her fingers under the bra, cupping Ruby's bare breast, Ruby could only respond by pressing impossibly closer and biting Belle's lip. Belle could feel her nipple hardening against her palm, and she let her fingers explore it. When she twisted it just right Ruby wasn't able to hold in her moan. If she pinched it lightly, or scraped her fingernails across it gently Ruby practically bucked in her arms.

Of course, Ruby wasn't going to let Belle have all the fun. She broke away from the kiss, smirking against Belle's cheek as she heard the whimper. Instead of simply catching her breath and getting back to it, she decided to tease Belle a little more. She quickly discovered where Belle was most sensitive on her neck, and she latched on. Her plan backfired a little, Belle froze in her arousal as she felt Ruby sucking, licking, biting her neck. She was sure it was going to leave a mark, but neither of them cared. Some part of Ruby, the animal inside, loved the idea of Belle walking around and carrying her mark.

"God, Ruby." She wouldn't have stopped the words if she could. Every part of her body was craving more of Ruby's tongue. She resumed her earlier task, but she switched to the other nipple, not wanting it to be left out. Every time she twisted just a little too roughly she felt the responding hard nip on her neck. Oddly, it turned them both on even more. Belle decided she'd had enough, she needed Ruby. But at the same time, she didn't want to let go of the most perfect breast in the world. So she pulled lightly at Ruby's hair one more time before she let her hand go.

It mimicked Ruby's actions, sliding underneath her shirt to play with her soft stomach. Only she didn't stay there. Instead she slid lower, teasing along the edge of Ruby's skin tight pants. Just as she slid her fingers under the hem, and managed to pop out the button, Ruby pulled away. Belle's whimper could have been heard by anyone remotely near the station.

"Ruby." The desperation in Belle's voice was palpable. Instead of answering right away, Ruby backed away, running her hand through her hair. She forced herself to calm down, taking deep breaths and doing her best not to imagine what could happen if she just let it.

"I'm sorry. But I'm on call… I need to be available in case someone needs me." There was logic in Ruby's words, Belle was sure of it. For some reason, she just couldn't see it at the moment.

"But Ruby…"

"I'm really sorry, Belle. Believe me, I want nothing more than to just ravage you right now, especially after everything you just did to me." Forgetting what Ruby had just said, Belle stalked towards the other woman, a predatory glance in her eyes. All she heard was 'ravage you'. "But I can't right now. I'm on duty."

"It's alright. I understand." And she did, logically. But her body wanted to continue what they'd been doing before. It took a lot of self-will for Belle to pull herself back into her body. When she focused on everything that had just happened, including the potentially public place they were in, she cringed. "I guess we should probably talk about this as well."

"That's actually a really good idea." She cringed as well when she realized they'd never talked about what was going on between them and here she was practically ready to jump Belle's bones. "Why don't I take you out to dinner tomorrow night and we'll talk about everything, okay?"

"Okay. I'd better go check on Emma. Or rather Regina and Mary Margaret, make sure they haven't killed each other yet." Belle snagged a fry as she passed by the desk on her way out. She glanced behind her one more time, and saw with some satisfaction that Ruby was sitting at her desk with her legs crossed very tightly, her chest still heaving from their previous activities.

The sounds of fighting that came from the Swan-Blanchard apartment caused Belle to speed up considerably. When she opened the door she saw that Regina and Mary Margaret were in the middle of a very serious fight. Emma was lying down on the couch, obviously trying to intervene in the happenings in the kitchen, but unable to.

"Guys! Hey, guys!" When that didn't work, Belle slammed the door shut, causing the arguing women to jump. "What is going on here?"

"There's no reason for her to be here all the time! Emma is just fine under my care. She's _my_ roommate!" It was completely unlike Mary Margaret to be so worked up over something, but it seemed that Regina pulled that out of her.

"Hardly. She would be best accommodated in my mansion. There would be better facilities, and I am perfectly capable of following the doctor's orders exactly." The flash in Regina's eyes as she spoke let Belle know that things were about to get very violent again.

"Have you asked Emma where she would like to be, and who she would like to care for her?" Her words caused both women to freeze. Evidently, neither of them had bothered to ask the injured women. They both spun around to face Emma, who was doing her best to hold in a laugh at the chastised expressions they were both wearing.

"I'd like to stay here. It's my home." Mary Margaret positively glowed at those words. Regina looked almost sullen. "But I'd like you both to stay here. It's nice having friends and family with you when you don't feel great." Emma put a little extra emphasis on the word 'friends', staring at Regina as she did so. This didn't escape either Belle or Mary Margaret.

It seemed to do the trick, both women calmed down considerably.

"Great, now that we have that settled, why don't the two of you pop out for a coffee? I can take care of Emma for a while." Emma looked relieved at the idea of a break from the quarreling women. When it seemed as though they were about to protest, Belle simply opened the door, and gestured at them to leave. Grumbling, they did.

Belle collapsed on the couch next to Emma, who laid her legs across the brunette's lap.

"So did you have fun with Ruby today?" Emma smirked as she gestured towards Belle's half un-tucked shirt and the smudges of lipstick that Regina and Mary Margaret hadn't noticed. The deep red of Belle's face was her answer.

Granny was quick to get Mary Margaret and Regina's coffees ready, the two women looked about ready to blow up a building. The stress of dealing with each other, and caring for Emma was obviously taking its toll on them.

"We need to find a way to be civil with each other." The glare in Regina's eyes didn't mesh with the words she spoke.

"Answer me one question and I'll do my best." Spat back Mary Margaret.

"Fine, ask away. For Emma's sake we need to be decent to each other. At least in her presence."

"I want the truth." Regina looked as though she was about to rebuke the younger woman for implying she'd ever be dishonest, but Mary Margaret's question threw her off guard. "Have you been sleeping with Emma?"

"Just a little bit." She smirked as she leaned in, enjoying every emotion she saw flittering across Mary Margaret's face.

"A little bit? How is that even possible?" When it looked as though Regina might answer just to make her uncomfortable, she hastily added, "No, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

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**Credit to missdontcare-x on tumblr for the Swan Queen image for the last scene.**

**I promise Ruby and Belle will get there some time... I'm just so worried about writing smut. **

**Please give me feedback, I thrive off of it.**

**Sya**


	17. What are we?

The next day passed the way time usually passes when you're excited for something, very slowly. Belle found her book-shelving to be tedious, the first time she'd ever felt like that. She was anxious for the date she had with Ruby that night, and her work was getting in the way of her imagination.

Ruby was similarly annoyed at her job, dealing with Granny being upset that she wasn't around much as well as the random citizen's complaints she received was getting on her nerves. Emma was going to be back in action within the next few days, and Ruby couldn't wait.

By the time their respective jobs were done for the day, both women sped out the door to get ready for the evening. Belle snuck into Mary Margaret's apartment to run her outfit by the three women there. Well, two women anyway, Regina had no interest in anything beyond caring for Emma and smirking at Mary Margaret.

Usually when she dressed for a date, Ruby made sure that her clothes were as tight as possible, but this time felt different. She and Belle weren't going to be going out to the club, it was impossible to talk much there. Instead she'd made reservations at a nice restaurant in town. This time she picked a looser dress, it still showed off her curves, but it was less suggestive than her usual outfits.

On her way out the door she made sure to grab the bouquet that she'd bought earlier for Belle. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach, _calm down,_ she told herself,_ it's just Belle._ But that thought wasn't as calming as it should have been. The physical stuff, she knew how to do that perfectly. Everything seemed to fit magically between the two of them, being with Belle was easy. Talking, however, that's a whole different ballgame. None of her previous relationships had been very serious, they'd never need a 'talk'. Ruby had no idea what she'd gotten herself into. All she knew, and all she focused on, was that she was going to be with Belle.

Since she'd finished getting ready early, Belle found herself leaning with her back against her door, waiting for Ruby. She knew that she would seem very eager, since she was right next to the door, but she didn't care. Every time that she was with Ruby she was happy, her worries, like the ones she was having now about talking with Ruby, seemed to float away whenever she was near the other woman. _I'm falling slowly for her_, the thought scared her a little, what if Ruby didn't feel the same way?

Before she could think of answers to that, there was a light knock on the door. She started upright, taking deep breaths to calm herself from the fright. Not wanting to seem too eager, she waited a few more breaths before she opened the door.

"Hel – Wow." While she loved what Ruby usually wore, the way that Ruby looked tonight blew her away. She was dressed calmer, softer, and she looked more open.

"Belle you look absolutely gorgeous." And it was true, the flowing blue dress looked great on Belle, Mary Margaret and Emma had agreed on it. And it looked like Ruby was right there with them. "These are for you."

"Thank you, they're beautiful." Ruby beamed with pride, it was nice knowing that she'd picked the right ones for Belle. "Let me just get these in some water and then we can go, okay?"

Ruby nodded her agreement and followed Belle into her apartment. When she saw Belle stretching to reach a vase on a high shelf, she moved swiftly over to help her. Ruby didn't realize how close they were until she handed the vase to Belle and found their bodies pressed together. She cleared her throat and backed away, tonight was about talking, not kissing.

It seemed as though Belle had other ideas. While Ruby had her eyes closed and was trying to focus herself, she leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Ruby's eyes snapped open immediately and she sighed when she noticed that Belle had moved away to fill the vase in the sink. A few minutes later and they were out the door, walking down the street hand in hand.

"So where are we going?"

"A little hole in the wall." And indeed it was, a tiny restaurant that Belle had never noticed before. It was quiet and romantic, perfect for their date. Ruby led her to a table, with a vase containing a single red rose waiting for them.

"For me?"

"Of course for you, silly." Belle leaned in a smelled the flower, loving the effort that Ruby had put into their date. It wasn't hard to figure out what they wanted to eat, Belle always wanted to try new things so they both picked the craziest things on the menu. That way, when Belle would snag food off of Ruby's plate, she'd be trying something else new.

"I suppose that we should start." Since it was her idea, Belle figured that she'd have to be the one to start the conversation. She knew that Ruby was more for actions than words, but some things needed to be said.

"Where do you want to start?" It was strange to hear Ruby sounding so vulnerable, feelings weren't something she usually dealt in.

"Well, how about how we feel? About each other, I mean…"

"I know what you meant, Belle. I just –" She ran her hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face. "I'm not good at the whole talking thing. But I know that I care about you, an awful lot."

"I care about you too, Ruby." Blue eyes stared into hazel ones.

"You're not just some fling. And I promise I'll never get as crazy as Gold did." Belle couldn't help it, even though Ruby was having difficulty expressing herself, the words struck deep within her. She reached out and grabbed Ruby's hand, rubbing her hand back and forth across her knuckles, encouraging the other woman. "I want to be with you, and I want to shout it from the rooftops, or at least flaunt it. Because I'd have the most beautiful and amazing woman in town."

"So what are you asking me?" It was obvious what Ruby was saying, but Belle wanted to hear the words.

"Will you go out with me, be my girlfriend?" Even though she knew that Belle cared about her, Ruby was still nervous to hear what her response would be. She felt Belle pull her hand away, and she shut her eyes in defeat. She knew she was right to do so when she heard Belle's chair scrape backwards and the sound of her standing up. What she wasn't expecting was the hands forcing her sideways in her chair, the finger lifting her chin, the lips that pressed lightly against hers.

She opened her eyes in response. Belle was kneeling on the floor in front of her, breathing deeply as she looked into Ruby's eyes. Slowly, she leaned forward again, waiting for Ruby to close her eyes again before the closed the distance and kissed her with more force.

"Of course I will."

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**Sorry this took so long! I had a lot of personal things going on, including a hospital trip.**

**It's a little short, but I needed to get something written.**

**Please let me know what you think.**

**Sya**


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